Abstract:
A protective pad system having an exoskeletal shell assembly and an impact absorbing cushioning pad assembly releasably and mechanically attached to the inner surface of the exoskeletal shell assembly. The cushioning pad assembly includes a plurality of independent sub pad assemblies constructed of moisture and heat tolerant materials and adhesives to allow frequent laundering.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     This invention relates generally to protective sports equipment. More particularly, this invention relates to shoulder pads for the sports of football, lacrosse and hockey.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Improvements are desired in the construction of football, lacrosse and hockey shoulder pads. In particular, improvements are desired in the dissipation of body heat and moisture of the wearer as well as the sanitary cleaning aspects of the pad component of football, lacrosse and hockey shoulder pad systems.  
         [0003]     The soft pad component of the conventional shoulder pad system is the element of the football, lacrosse and hockey shoulder pad system that is immediately in contact with the wearer&#39;s body. The typical football, lacrosse or hockey shoulder pad system is comprised of a hard exoskeletal component and a soft pad component. The “soft pad component” is defined herein as the compressible padding that provides cushioning. The soft pad component is distinguishable from the rigid elements of the exoskeletal component. The soft pad component in the typical shoulder pad system is mechanically attached to the exoskeleton component so as to be positioned between the wearer&#39;s torso and upper body and the exoskeleton component of the shoulder pad system. The construction of conventional shoulder pad systems undesirably traps moisture and body heat between the soft pad component and the wearer&#39;s body. Additionally, the soft pad component of the conventional shoulder pad system cannot be laundered in a conventional fashion, thus leading to unsanitary conditions of the soft pad component.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention relates to an improved shoulder pad system that enables improved heat and moisture transfer away from the wearer&#39;s body. Shoulder pads according to the invention would also enable frequent and conventional laundering of the soft pad component.  
         [0005]     With regard to the foregoing, the present invention is directed to a soft pad component for a shoulder pad. In the preferred embodiment, the soft pad component is bilaterally symmetrical comprising left and right soft pad components that are positioned between the wearer&#39;s upper body and torso and the exoskeletal component of the shoulder pad system.  
         [0006]     In another aspect, the invention relates to bilaterally symmetrical soft pad components comprised of releasably and mechanically attached multiple sub assembly segments. Each bilaterally symmetrical soft pad component comprising a front/chest segment, back segment and top/shoulder segment that is positioned between the front/chest segment and the back segment.  
         [0007]     Another feature of the present invention is that the each sub assembly of the bilaterally symmetrical soft pad component is releasably and mechanically attached to the exoskeletal component of the shoulder pad system.  
         [0008]     Another feature of the present invention is that the soft pad component of the shoulder pad system is constructed of a compressible, perforated, closed cell foam layer laminated between a moisture wicking, breathable fabric layer on the surface in immediate contact with the wearer&#39;s upper body and torso, and a breathable fabric on the surface in immediate contact with the exoskeletal component of the shoulder pad system.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a frontal perspective view of an illustrated embodiment of a shoulder pad system in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2A  is a frontal perspective view of the bilaterally symmetrical soft pad component of the shoulder pad system of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 2B  is a rear perspective view of the bilaterally symmetrical soft pad component of the shoulder pad system of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the soft pad assembly of the bilaterally symmetrical soft pad component of  FIGS. 2A and 2B .  
         [0013]      FIG. 4A  is an interior perspective view of the wearer&#39;s left side lateral assembly of the soft pad assembly of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 4B  is an exterior perspective view of the wearer&#39;s left side lateral assembly of the soft pad assembly of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 5A  is an exploded perspective view of typical construction of a segment of the soft pad component of  FIGS. 2A, 2B ,  3 ,  4 A and  4 B.  
         [0016]      FIG. 5B  is a perspective cross view of typical construction of a segment of the soft pad component of  FIGS. 2A, 2B ,  3 ,  4 A and  4 B.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view an exoskeletal assembly of the shoulder pad system of  FIG. 1 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]     With initial reference to  FIG. 1 , the invention relates to a shoulder pad system including an exoskeleton assembly  10  and soft pad component comprising a pair of a pair of assemblies  20  and  30 .  
         [0000]     Soft Pad Component  
         [0019]     With reference to  FIGS. 1, 2A  and  2 B, the soft pad component is comprised of bilaterally symmetrical sub assemblies  20 , 30  that are positioned between the wearer&#39;s upper body and torso and the exoskeleton assembly  10 .  
         [0020]     Soft pad component sub assemblies  20  and  30  are releasably and mechanically attached to exoskeleton assembly  10  by means of fasteners  153 ,  154 ,  155 ,  162 ,  164  and  165  that are preferably constructed of a hook and loop fastening system.  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the soft pad component is composed of bilaterally symmetric subassemblies  20  and  30  that are further comprised of independent subassemblies  121 ,  122 ,  123 ,  131 ,  132  and  133 .  
         [0022]     Referring to  FIGS. 2A, 2B ,  3 , and  6 , the sub assemblies  132  and  122  are attached to the exoskeleton assembly  10 . The attachment is preferably accomplished by aligning the sub assemblies  132  and  122  immediately under the sub arch components  36  and  46  respectively and looping the fasteners  154  and  164  around the sub arches  36  and  46 .  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIGS. 2A, 2B ,  3 , and  6 , the sub assemblies  131 ,  133   121  and  123  are attached to the exoskeleton assembly  10 . The attachment is preferably accomplished by aligning the fasteners  153 ,  155 ,  163  and  165  with the apertures  214 ,  216 ,  224  and  226  respectively on arch members  130  and  140 , and looping said fasteners through said apertures.  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIGS. 3, 4A  and  4 B, the subassemblies  121 ,  123 ,  131  and  133  have a plurality of panels  175  that are constructed of the hook portion of a hook and loop fastening system.  
         [0025]     Referring to  FIGS. 3, 4A  and  4 B, the surfaces  185  of subassemblies  122  and  132  that come in immediate contact with the panels  175  of subassemblies  121 ,  123 ,  131  and  133  are constructed of the loop portion of a hook and loop fastening system.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the sub pad assembly  131  will be described, but the description applies equally to the other sub pad assemblies  132 ,  133 ,  121 ,  122  and  123 . The sub pad assembly  131  is made of a one-piece perforated and thermal formed closed-cell foam padding material such as PE or EVA,  233 , that is sandwiched between sheets of breathable, moisture-wicking fabric  231  and  235 . In the preferred embodiment, the fabric components  231  and  235  are affixed to the foam padding element  233  by means of a moisture and heat tolerant adhesive.  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , preferably the protective foam segment  233  is made of perforated closed cell foam.  
         [0000]     Exoskeleton Assembly  
         [0028]     With respect to  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the exoskeleton assembly  10  preferably includes a pair of main arches  130  and  140 , a pair of epaulette assemblies  70  and  80 , a pair of shoulder cap assemblies  50  and  60 , a pair of sub arches  38  and  48 , a plurality of arch member connectors  222 , a flexible cord  126 , a fastener  128 , a plurality of straps  100 , and a plurality of slots  110  to accept the straps  100  for the purposes of attaching the exoskeleton system  10  to the wearer.  
         [0029]     Each arch member  130  and  140  is generally U-shaped in configuration and preferably of one-piece molded plastic construction. The arch member  130  is preferably constructed to include a chest portion  32  and a back portion  34  and a connecting portion  36 . Similarly, the arch member  140  is shown as having a chest portion  42 , a back portion  44 , and a connecting portion  46 .  
         [0030]     Each epaulette assembly  70  and  80  is preferably comprised of a one-piece molded hard plastic element that is generally convex in shape. Each such assembly has a fabric covered foam interior liner and a flexible connector  78  and  80  for attaching the epaulette assembly to the respective arch member  130  and  140 .  
         [0031]     Each shoulder cap assembly  50  and  60  is preferably comprised of a one-piece molded hard plastic element that is generally convex in shape. Each such assembly has a fabric covered foam interior liner and a flexible connector  76  and  86  for attaching the epaulette assembly to the respective arch member  130  and  140 .  
         [0032]     The sub arches  38  and  48  are preferably of one-piece molded plastic construction generally curved in shape. The sub arch is preferably connected to the same-side arch member  130  and  140  so as to be positioned under the connecting member  36  and  46  and between the arch member chest and back portions  32  and  34  or  42  and  44 . The sub arch is preferably attached to the arch member by mechanical means, such as rivets or screws and nuts at points near the tops of the arch member front portion  32  and arch member back portion  34 . The chest portion and the back portion are configured to have raised areas of varying shapes and sizes within their perimeters to provide added structural strength.  
         [0033]     Each epaulette assembly  70  and  80  and each shoulder cap assembly  50  and  60  is preferably attached to the connecting portion  36  and  46  of the corresponding main arch at a point approximately above the wearer&#39;s shoulder by using mechanical connectors such as rivets or screws and nuts. The preferred assembly is accomplished by aligning the apertures in the connecting portion  36  or  46 , the shoulder cap assembly flexible connector  76  or  80 , and the epaulette assembly flexible connector  78  or  88  with the shoulder cap assembly flexible connector positioned between the connecting portion  36  and the epaulette assembly flexible connector.  
         [0034]     Arch members  130  and  140  are preferably connected by placing the two arch members in adjacent relationship at a desired distance apart, with the back portion  34  substantially parallel to the back portion  44 . A plurality of the connectors  222  are used to span between and connect the back portions  34  and  44  by means of a mechanical fastener such as a rivet or a screw and nut.  
         [0035]     Arch members  130  and  140  are preferably connected at the front by placing the arch members  130  and  140  adjacent to one another, with the chest portion  32  substantially parallel to the chest portion  42 . Flexible cord  126  is threaded through apertures in chest portions  32  and  42  and fastener  128  is used to maintain the wearer&#39;s desired tension in flexible cord. The preferred fastener  128  is constructed of molded hard plastic and enables the wearer to quickly and frequently lock or unlock its hold on flexible cord  126 .