INTEGRATED LEG GUARDS

A leg guard is described that is releaseably and adjustably attached to a boot, such as a firefighter's boot, for protection to the lower leg of a wearer from impacts and other injury. The leg guard is capable of being attached to the turnout gear of a firefighter so that the leg guard may be donned as part of the turnout gear without additional attachment to the leg of the user. In the preferred embodiment, the leg guard has a padded shin guard and separate knee cup that articulates with the user's leg during movement. An adjustable clip is used to connect the leg guard to the top of the boot.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The integrated leg guards described herein relate to protective leg guards that may be worn to protect the knee and shin from injury due to impact trauma to the lower leg or pain due to kneeling, crawling or similar activity. The leg guards are removably attached to boots or shoes. More specifically, some embodiments are directed to leg guards for protecting the lower legs of firefighters from injury during firefighting operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In various embodiments, the leg guards disclosed herein are configured for attachment to boots, such as firefighter's boots. Each leg guard has an impact shell component that is made of a shin guard section and a knee cup section. The knee cup section is located above the shin guard section, and is contoured to substantially fit around the knee and lower leg of a user. A pad is attached to the inside surface of the impact shell component to cushion the users legs. An attachment strap is attached to the shin guard section adjacent to the lower end such that it is close to the upper portion of the boot, and it is preferably securable around the boot to maintain the proximity of the shin guard to the boot during use. An attachment clip is releaseably attached to the shin guard section and is used to attach the shin guard section to the top edge of a boot. In some embodiments, the shin guard section has a series of mounting holes for releaseably attaching the attachment clip to the shin guard to allow for adjustment of the height of the leg guard. In some embodiments the pad incorporates edging and thread formed using fire-resistant materials.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The integrated leg guard as disclosed in reference to the embodiments depicted in the figures provides a leg guard for use in conjunction with a boot or similar footwear. The leg guard is capable of removeable attachment to the boot to be part of an integrated unit for quick and easy donning of the leg guard simultaneously with the boot. In some embodiments, the leg guard is attached to the boot of a firefighter as part of the firefighter's turnout gear so that the leg guard is automatically donned by the firefighter with the turnout gear. No separate straps to attach the leg guard to the legs of a user are required. The connection points all relate to the attachment of the leg guard to the user's boot.

With reference toFIG. 1, a perspective view of the innovative leg guard is depicted attached to a boot100. The leg guard102comprises an impact shell component101made of a shin guard section104and a knee cup section106. The shin guard section104and the knee cup section104may be a single element or made separately and later joined together by conventional means. The impact section101may be rigid or flexible in various applications, but is formed from a material designed to protect the leg of the wearer from impacts.

The shin guard104and the knee cup106are manufactured to form a rigid material that is sufficiently strong to protect the leg from impact. In some embodiments, the shin guard104and knee cup106are made from a Polycarbonate/Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene polymer blend. The knee cup104is contoured in a rough hemispherical or dome shape to approximate the shape of and cover the knee cap of a user. Similarly, the shin guard106is contoured into a rough semi-cylindrical shape to approximate the shape of and cover the shin of a user.

In some embodiments, the shin guard104and the knee cup106may be made from a material selected to withstand specific conditions, such as high heat, chemical exposure, or other environmental hazards. In various embodiments, the shin guard104and knee cup106may be manufactured by injection molding, vacuum molding, rotational molding, or other types of molding. In one embodiment of the leg guard, the shin guard104and knee cup106are about 3/16 inches thick although material thickness may vary. As described below, pad108and attachment strap110are attached to the rigid component101.

In some embodiments of the leg guard, the attachment point between the leg guard and the boot is adjustable to fit the user wearing the integrated system. In one embodiment, a plurality of ½ inch holes116are provided in the impact shell101as attachment points for receiving an attachment clip120that also attaches to the boot. In other embodiments, the attachment clip120may attach to the inside of the shin guard106without holes116, but via another method of attachment such as machine screws, clasps, snap lock or other types of buckles, or any other known method of attachment, such method not being limiting of the leg guard. In some embodiments, the clip may be formed as part of the impact shell, and more than one clip may be provided to allow for adjustment of the attachment point to the boot. In some embodiments, the boot is provided with a feature for receiving the attachment clip120.

The attachment clip120may be manufactured in a variety of forms to those known in the art and be within the scope of the present invention. In the depicted embodiment, the clip is bolted to the shin guard106by a bolt inserted through one of the plurality of holes116and the clip120and then secured with a nut. In the depicted embodiment, the attachment clip120extends downwardly to sandwich a portion of boot101between the shin guard106and the clip120. In other embodiments, the clip120may attach to the top of boot100using jaws or other types of fasteners. The specific type of fastener used to attach the shin guard106to the boot100is not limiting of the inventive leg guard.

In some embodiments, the clip120may attach to the shin guard106at a variety of locations disposed vertically along the inside thereof. This allows a user to adjust the attachment point for the type of footwear to which the guard is attached and for the length of the user's lower leg.

One or more pads108may be attached to the inside surface of the shin guard104and the knee cup106. The pads108are designed to cushion the leg of a user from impacts on the shin guard104and knee cup106, and to prevent injury to the user from such impacts. The pads108also allows a user to wear the leg guards102when kneeling and crawling without significant discomfort or injury to the user. One of the common injuries experience by firefighters occurs when they are crawling on a floor and impact their leg on debris on the floor. The rigid material in the shin guard104and knee cup106, and the pads108substantially eliminate such injuries.

In some embodiments, the padding is manufactured from ¼ inch closed cell silicone sponge material. In some embodiments the pad108comprises one or more separate pads attached to the shin guard104or knee cup106. In some embodiments of the leg guard, the pads108are covered or lined with a material such as Nomex. In other embodiments pad108may be provided with Nomex edging130and attached to the shin guard104and knee cup106by stitches118which may also be made using Nomex thread. In some embodiments other flame, heat or chemical resistant materials may be used for the cover, edging, and stitches.

As shown inFIG. 1, the leg guard102is removabley attached to boot100. Preferably, the top front edge of boot100extends between pad108and shin guard104. Attachment strap110is attached to the surface of shin guard104and extends around the outside of boot100and is then fastened using attachment material112. The strap110and clip120hold the shin guard104in position above boot100even when the boot100is not being worn by a user. The pad108extends inside the top front edge of boot100.

Some embodiments of the leg guards are intended to be worn inside pants such as firefighter turnout gear pants. The leg guards may be left attached to the boot when not in use, and then a user may don the leg guards simply by stepping into the boots, and then pulling the pants up over the leg guards. This substantially decreases the amount of time normally taken to dress with the leg guards, boots and turnout gear if donned separately.

Referring now toFIG. 2 and 3, a front and a side view, respectively, of an embodiment of the leg guard102is depicted. In some embodiments, the shin guard104is provided with an optional support rib running vertically down the shin guard104. The support rib122may comprise an extension from the adjacent areas of the shin guard104and stiffens the shin guard104. The support rib122may be a thickened area of shin guard106or a contour in a shin guard having a uniform thickness. In some embodiments, the support rib122may be 1.25 inches wide. In other embodiments the support rib122may have extensions running horizontally toward the edges of shin guard106, may be wider or narrower than depicted, or may vary in dimension along its length. In some embodiments the support rib may be the location of the adjustable mounting means for the attachment clip120, as shown for this embodiment as mounting holes116for receiving an attachment clip120.

In some embodiments, the leg guard102extends approximately16inches from the bottom of the shin guard104to the top of the knee cup106. In some embodiments, the knee cup may be approximately 6.5 inches wide and approximately 5.5 inches from the top of the knee cup to the bottom of the knee cup. In some embodiments, the shin guard is 11.5 inches from the top to the bottom thereof. The shin guard106and knee cup104may vary in width and contour along their length and breadth.

Attachment strap110may be attached to shin guard104by stitches124which may be made using Nomex thread. An area of hook and loop material124, or similar materials, may be provide on strap110, and buckle112may be provided on the other end of strap110. In some embodiments, strap110is fed through buckle112and folded back on itself, pulled tight and then secured by engaging area124on itself or on another section of hook and loop or similar material.

Referring now toFIG. 4, a rear perspective view of an embodiment of the leg guard is shown attached to a boot. This figure depicts a pair of pants disposed around the boots and ready for donning over the leg guards. In the depicted embodiment, an attachment clip120is provided for securing the leg guard to the boot100. The clip120releaseably attaches to the top edge of boot100or secures the top of the boot100between the shin guard104and clip120. In some embodiments, the clip120is provided with means of releaseably attaching to the inside surface of the shin guard104. The clip120may attached to the shin guard by a variety of attachment means, including without limitation, a nut and bolt for inserting through mounting holes116and securing the attachment clip120to shin guard104. A series of mounting holes116may be provided to allow the adjustment of the location of knee cup106in relation to the boot to fit a particular user.

Referring now toFIG. 5, a rear view of an embodiment of the leg guard is depicted. Edging130, of Nomex or other desired material is clearly visible on pad108. The varying lobes131of pad108may be seen to allow for contouring of the pad108to the inside surface of section101. The specific configuration of lobes in pad108is not limiting of the invention, and other shapes and configurations of pad108may be used on the leg guard as described and claimed herein.

Referring now toFIG. 6, 7, and 8, perspective view and cross-section views of an embodiment of the leg guard are depicted.FIG. 7shows the attachment clip120with the pad108and the impact shell101removed for purposes of clarity. In some embodiments of the leg guard, clip120has two jaws that are disposed on opposite sides of the upper edge of the boot100and secured together by bolt126and nut128which squeeze the jaws together on either side of the upper edge of boot100. In the depicted embodiment, bolt126extends through one of the mounting holes116in impact shell101. Nut128is secured to bolt126from the outside of impact shell101, thus securing the attachment clip120to the leg guard and also squeezing the jaws of clip120to secure it to the boot100. In other embodiments of the leg guard, entirely different designs of clip120or methods of releaseably attaching the leg guard to the boot may be utilized.

In another embodiment, the attachment clip is not attached to the impact shell, but may be attached to the pad108as shown inFIG. 9. Further, the knee cup106may be formed separately from the shin guard104so that the two pieces articulate separately as the user moves. Hook and loop fasteners140may be used to connect the lower portion of the knee cup106to the upper portion of the shin guard104which also creates some vertical adjustment between the two pieces. Alternatively, the hook and loop140fastener can be used to connect the shin guard104to the pad108. In some embodiments, one or more tabs are provided on the portion of the pad108that extends into the boot100. In some embodiments, the boot100may be provided with slots on the inside, outside or top edge of the boot to receive the tabs on the pad108. In other embodiments, the tabs may be provided on the portion of the impact shell101that overlaps boot100, and the slots may be provide on the exterior or interior surface of the boot, or on its top edge. In some other embodiments, one or more slots may be provided on the impact shell101for receiving tabs incorporated into the boot100. In some embodiments the tab is provided with a catch for engaging a feature on the slot to prevent undesired release of the leg guard from the boot. As best shown inFIG. 9, the knee cup106may have a substantially flat outer surface which increases stability and comfort of the user when crawling.

Other types of connections between the boot and leg guard may be utilized within the scope of the invention. For example, quick release buckles, receptacles on the boot or shell for receiving mounting posts on the other component, keyhole fasteners, snaps or other similar means of attaching the pad or shell to the boot may be used instead of or in addition to the clamp, tabs and slots, or other mechanisms. Any of these mechanisms may be provided with latches, catches or similar mechanisms for securing the attachment to prevent undesired separation of the leg guard from the boot.