Athletic protector cup

Abstract: An athletic protector cup is provided including a rigid cup-shaped base member (10) and an impact resistant resilient body which is fixedly attached to an exterior surface (16) and around a periphery of the base member. The resilient body (40) includes a flange (60) extending beyond portions of the base member edge and having a geometry for providing additional impact resistance.

Description: The invention relates to an athletic protector comprising a rigid, cup-shaped base member, an integral flexible and resilient body comprising a cup-shaped portion and engaging a portion of a surface of the rigid base member. Devices for the protection of the male groin region are extensively utilised in athletics. In athletic competition, particularly body contact sports such as football, baseball, hockey, soccer and the like, protective devices are worn by the players to avoid injury due to inadvertant blows to the groin area. The most common protective device includes a cup supported by a jockstrap. Protector cups of this character are usually formed from a plastic material, such as polypropylene or polyethylene, which is sufficiently rigid to retain its shape even when struck a relatively severe blow. Such an athletic protector, according to the preamble of claim 1, is known from US 6 048 327. US patent 3,176,686 discloses a shock absorbent construction for a cup-shaped athletic garment. This athletic garment basically consists of a cup-shaped base body and a resilient, shock absorbing cover. The garment is worn by a network of supporting straps. In the prior art athletic garment, the base body has smooth, non.structured edges. The resilient, shock absorbing cover consists of a front face and a reversely curved fold-over portion, which extends upwardly on the inner side of the base body to approximately mid-height. The side edges of the fold-over portion are integral with the lower side edges of the front face. Thereby, a pocket is formed accommodating the lower portion of the base body. A rim of resilient cover extends around the edge of the upper portion of the base body. Thus, the cover is pulled over the base body and retained thereon, similar to how socks are pulled over the feet. With such a construction, the resilient cover has to be of a material which can be stretched to a considerable extent so that it can be pulled over the base body. The stretching has to permit the rim to be pulled around the edge of the upper portion of the base body, after the lower portion has been pushed into the pocket. This does not provide a firm connection between the base body and the cover. It is an object of the invention to provide an athletic protector cup incorporating a surface geometry for providing improved comfort to the wearer. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an athletic protector cup incorporating a flexible resilient body portion, wherein the risk of separation of the flexible, resilient body portion from the rigid base is minimized. According to the invention, these objects are achieved in that (a) the cup-shaped base member is shaped, along its periphery, to provide as structured peripheral edge for anchoring the flexible and resilient body at the base member, (b) the flexible and resilient body has a thickened peripheral portion and a transition portion with a peripheral structure complementary to and engaging said peripheral edge thereby forming an interlocking structure between base member (10) and resilient body (40), and (c) at central region of side edges of the athletic protector, the opposite rigid peripheral edges of the base member are remote from the outer edges of the flexible, resilient body, whereby in that central region the side edges of the athletic protector are substantially comprised of the flexible and resilient body. According to the invention, the periphery of base member has a structured peripheral edge which is engaged by a complementary structure at the flexible and resilient body. This provides an interlocking structure which firmly connects base member and resilient body along all of their peripheries. This way of interlocking permits substantial separation of the side edges of the base member and of the resilient body. This provides a rather thick cushion of resilient material along the side edges of the athletic protector. This is comfortable to the wearer, because it reduces friction of the athletic protector at the wearer's skin. Slight movements are absorbed by resilient deformation of the edges of the resilient body. To this end, preferably, the opposite rigid peripheral edges of the base member, at a central region, are farther away from the outer edges of the flexible, resilient body than at the end regions of the athletic protector. Particularly firm connection between the base member and the resilient body is achieved in that the flexible, resilient body is molded over the exterior surface of the rigid cup-shapeed base member and around substantially all of the peripheral edge thereof. In this way, the surface of the resilient body not only adheres to the surface of the base member. The peripheral or transitional portion of the molded-over resilient body automatically assumes a shape complementary to the structured peripheral edge. Thereby, the base member and the resilient body are not only connected by the surfaces adhering together but are also positively interlocked at their peripheries. Preferably the structured peripheral edge comprises an inwardly stepped surface forming a leading edge and an inner edge. Then, advantageously, the flexible, resilient body is molded around the leading edge of the structured anchor formation and forms a continuous surface with the adjacent surface of the rigid cup-shaped base member to provide the complementary peripheral structure of the thickened transition portion. For further comfort and safety of the wearer, the thickened peripheral portion of the flexible, resilient body may comprise a collapsible transition portion adapted to deflect or fold inwardly under the impact of a force exerted on the protector in such a manner as to form a cushioning barrier between the rigid peripheral edges of the base member and the body of the wearer. Furthermore, the thickened peripheral portion of the flexible, resilient body may terminate at a rounded end having a crescent-shaped cross sectional geometry with a convex outer surface and a concave surface. Brief Description of the Drawings The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rigid cup-shaped body portion of an athletic protector cup in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the rigid cup-shaped body of FIG. 1, viewed from lower end 12; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view according to section line 3-3 of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the rigid-cup shaped body depicted in FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view according to section line 5-5 of FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a side view elevational of the rigid cup-shaped body depicted in FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a resilient body portion of an athletic protector cup in accordance with the present invention; FIGS. 8 is a top plan view of the molded body portion depicted in FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view according to section line 9-9 of FIG. 8; FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the molded body portion depicted in FIG. 7; FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a completely constructed athletic protector cup in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view according to section line 12-12 of FIG. 11; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view according to section line 13-13 of FIG. 11; FIG. 14 is a partially fragmented perspective view of the molded body portion of FIG. 7; FIG. 15 is a partially fragmented perspective view of a completely assembled athletic protector cup in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 16a is identical to the cross-sectional view depicted in FIG. 12 and provided to illustrate the relative horizontal cross-sectional shape of the cup in a non-deflected equilibrium state; and FIG. 16b illustrates the deflection of thickened section 62 of molded body 50 when acted upon by force F. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments The athletic protector cup of the present invention comprises a rigid unified structure and a resilient structure. When the athletic protector cup is fully constructed these elements are integrated to form a single cup structure. However, for the purpose of clarity, in portions of the following description and referenced drawing figures the respective structures are described and illustrated isolated from each other. Referring initially to FIGS. 1-6, wherein the rigid portion of the cup structure, shown generally at 10, is illustrated in detail. The cup-shaped rigid base member 10 is contoured to cover and protect the genitals of a wearer and can be formed from numerous rigid plastic materials, such as polypropylene or high-density polyethylene. The rigid cup base has arcuate exterior and interior surfaces, 16 and 18, respectively. Furthermore, the rigid cup base has upper and lower ends, shown generally at 14 and 12, respectively. Although the exterior and interior surfaces can be smooth, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 - 6, the upper 14 and lower 12 cup ends, have respective integral lip portions, 22 and 20, extending outwardly therefrom. The lips are thickest in cross section at their respective midpoints, each having an inwardly tapering smooth surface curving along the body perimeter in a direction away from its midpoint. Exterior and interior cup surfaces, 16 and 18, are joined at a peripheral edge shown generally at 24. As best illustrated in FIG. 5, peripheral edge 24 actually has a stepped - shaped configuration, forming an inner edge 28 and an outer leading edge 29. Accordingly, in this embodiment of the invention, the exterior cup surface 16 is peripherally bounded at its upper and lower ends by integral lip portions 20 and 22, respectively, and at its sides by leading edge 29. Similarly, interior cup surface 18 is peripherally bounded by integral lip portions, 20 and 22, and inner edge 28. Preferably, rigid base 10 is further provided with a plurality of apertures 26 for ventilation purposes. As will be further described herein below, the integral lip portions, 20 and 22, and leading edge 29 provide means for securely integrating the rigid base and resilient body portions of the athletic cup protector of the present invention. Referring now to FIGS. 7-10, the structure of resilient body 40 will now be described in more detail. Resilient body 40 is preferably constructed from a flexible and resilient elastomer material having a chemical structure compatible with the rigid base member to ensure adequate adhesion thereto. In particular, adhesion at the interfaces should be sufficient to minimize interfacial separation over time under normal cup usage conditions. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art of molding technology, myriad elastomer materials are commercially available for use with the present invention, including, for example, rubber and polyurethane. Resilient body 40 extends between an upper end 44 and lower end 44 and is comprised of a thin cap-shaped portion, shown generally at 50, and a thickened flange portion, shown generally at 60. As viewed in cross-section, thickened flange portion 60 includes a generally rectangular-shaped portion 62 having a slight lengthwise curve defined by the contour of surface 46, and extends downwardly into an integral crescent-shaped portion 68. The crescent-shaped portion 68 of thickened flange 60 has a cross-sectional area bounded by convex outer surface 61 and concave inner surface 63. The smooth rounded convex outer surface 61 provides a comfortable, low friction, contact region between the flange and the body of the wearer. This feature of the present invention provides the advantage, vis-à-vis prior art flange designs. This is because this feature reduces body irritation resulting from repeated rubbing of the flange surface against the wearer's body during various body movements including, for example, the repeated bending of a catcher during a baseball game. Concave inner surface 63 defines an integral channel 70 which extends around the lower interior of thickened flange 60. Thin cap-shaped portion 50 is bounded by upper surface 46, lower surface 48, and a periphery defined by recessed surface 66 of thickened flange portion 60. As will be described in more detail hereinbelow, during the assembly operation surfaces 64, 65 and 66 of flange portion 62 mate with rigid cup surfaces 28, 27 and 29, respectively. In other words, the surfaces 64, 65 and 66 defining the upper bounds of thickened section 62 correspond to the curved sides 24 of the rigid cup 10. Accordingly, the cross-sectional area of portion 62 varies around the periphery of molded body 40. This variation is best illustrated in FIG. 10, in which thickened flange surface 66 is represented in phantom. Resilient body 40 can be formed with multiple ventilation apertures 45, so that in the assembled condition of the invention these apertures coincide with the apertures 26 of the rigid cup 10. Referring now to FIGS. 11-13 and 15, the athletic protector cup of the present invention is illustrated in a fully-constructed, state. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art of athletic protector cups that many conventional means of permanent connection between rigid cup-shaped base member and the flexible resilient body can be utilized. However, the connection between these elements by molding is preferred. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art of molding that various molding methods incorporating a variety of molding parameters could be employed to achieve the athletic protector cup structure of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, resilient body 40 and rigid cup base 10 are chemically married using an injection molding process. Injection molding of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) compounds onto engineering thermoplastic resins is well known and is not further described. Specific information relating to TPE injection molding can be found throughout the scientific literature. For example, an article specifically relating to TPE overmolding can be found in the Journal of Injection Molding Technology (March 2000, Vol. 4, No. 1). Preferably, outer surface 16 of rigid cup 10 is chemically bonded over substantially its entire surface area to interior surface 48 of molded body 40. As best illustrated in FIG. 12, surfaces 27, 28 and 29 of rigid cup 10 are preferably molded to corresponding surfaces 66, 65 and 64 of molded body 10, thereby forming an interlocking structure for enhancing the stability of rigid cup 10 within molded body 40. As best illustrated in FIG. 13, in this embodiment of the invention, portion 68 of thickened flange 60 completely envelops the integral upper and lower lips 22 and 20 of rigid cup base 10. In a manner similar to the interlocking structure described above, this mating structure further reduces the potential for interfacial separation by maintaining rigid cup 10 and resilient body 40 in a fixed position relative to each other. The overmolded resilient body structure of the present invention provides numerous significant advantages over the prior art flange structures. For instance, in contrast to known athletic protector cups which provide a resilient body restricted to a peripheral portion of the cup, the resilient elastomer structure of the present invention is molded over the outer surface 16 of the rigid cup to provide an impact resistant barrier. In this manner, the magnitude of a blow to the exterior surface of the protector cup is significantly reduced, or dampened, before being transferred to the rigid plastic inner cup layer. As a result of this improved dampening, the athletic protector cup of the present invention can be constructed using a thinner rigid cup base 10, providing a corresponding weight reduction of approximately 20-30% compared to conventional athletic protector cups. Further advantages result from the self-collapsing design of the integral flange structure. Referring now to FIGS. 16a and 16b, under the impact of an external force, F, upon outer surface 46, flexible flange portion 62 deflects, or folds, inwardly. At least two significant advantages accrue from this self-collapsing design. First, the inwardly folding flange portion 62 forms a barrier between the rigid perimeter side edges 24 of inner cup 10 and the wearer's body to provide enhanced comfort during the application of a force, F, on the cup. Such force may result from a blow to the cup. Alternatively, such force may result from various bodily movements, such as bending, while wearing the cup. As a consequence of the significant improvements in comfort to the wearer, the athletic protector cup of the present invention lends itself to use by certain athletes, such as soccer players, who commonly play without a protector cup to avoid the discomfort associated with existing cup structures. Second, the inwardly collapsing structure provides enhanced impact resistance in situations where the force results from a blow to the cup, further minimizing the transmission of the force to the wearer's body. As best illustrated in Figure 10, in the central region of the athletic protector (commonly engaging the body of the wearer) the rigid peripheral edges of the cup (shown in phantom) are remote from the outer surface 61 of the resilient body portion. Thus, in the assembly of the invention, a substantial portion of the rigid plastic is substituted by a soft plastic of the resilient body, further enhancing comfort to the wearer. The smooth rounded convex outer surface 61 provides a comfortable, low friction, contact region between the flange and the body of the wearer. Concave inner surface 63 defines an integral channel 70 which extends completely around the lower interior of thickened flange 60. The resilient body 40 and rigid cup base 10 are fixedly connected. Outer surface 16 of rigid cup 10 is bonded over substantially its entire surface area to interior surface 48 of impact resistant body 40. The surfaces 27, 28 and 29 of rigid cup 10 are attached to corresponding surfaces 65, 64 and 66 of rigid cup 10, thereby forming an interlocking structure. This enables the invention to enhance the stability of rigid cup 10 within body 40. The flexible end portion 68 of the flexible resilient body envelops the integral upper and lower ends of rigid cup base 10. This mating structure further reduces the potential for interfacial separation by maintaining rigid cup 10 and resilient body 40 in a fixed position relative to each other. Under the impact of an external force, outer surface of the flexible resilient body 46, its flexible end flange portion 62 deflects, or folds, inwardly, thereby forming a barrier between the rigid perimeter side edges of cup shaped base member 10 and the wearer's body. This provides enhanced comfort during the application of a force, on the cup. Furthermore, the inwardly collapsing structure enhances impact resistance of the structure when the force of a blow is applied to the cup. While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to these embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, resilient body 40 can be further extended over the entire inner surface 18 of rigid cup-shaped base member 10, thereby completely encapsulating the hard cup. The rigid cup-shaped base member can be formed having smooth outer surface 16 and inner surface 18, without lip portions 20 and 22, etc.,.

Claims: An athletic protector comprising a rigid, cup-shaped base member (10), an integral flexible and resilient body (40) comprising a cup-shaped portion (50) and engaging a portion of a surface of the rigid base member (10) characterised in that (a) the cup-shaped base member (10) is shaped, along its periphery (24), to provide a structure peripheral edge (24) for anchoring the flexible and resilient body (40) at the base member (10), (b) the flexible and resilient body (40) has a thickened peripheral portion (60) and a transition portion (62) with a peripheral structure (64,65,66) complementary to and engaging said structured peripheral edge (24) thereby forming an interlocking structure between base member (10) and resilient body (40), and (c) at a central region of side edges of the athletic protector, the opposite rigid peripheral edges (24) of the base member (10) are remote from the outer edges of the flexible, resilient body (40), whereby in that central region the side edges of the athletic protector are substantially comprised of the flexible and resilient body (40). An athletic protector as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the opposite rigid peripheral edges (66) of the base member (10), at a central region, are farther away from the outer edges of the flexible, resilient body (40) than at the end regions of the athletic protector. An athletic protector as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the flexible, resilient body (40) is molded over the exterior surface of the rigid cup-shapeed base member(10) and around substantially all of the peripheral edge thereof. An athletic protector as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the structured peripheral edge comprises an inwardly stepped surface forming a leading edge (29) and an inner edge (28). An athletic protector as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the flexible, resilient body (40) is molded around the leading edge (19) of the structured peripheral edge and forms a continuous surface with the adjacent surface of the rigid cup-shaped base member (10) to provide the complementary peripheral structure of the thickened transition portion. An athletic protector as claimed in anyone of the claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the thickened peripheral portion (60) of the flexible, resilient body (40) comprises a collapsible transition portion (62) adapted to deflect or fold inwardly under the impact of a force (F) exerted on the protector in such a manner as to form a cushioning barrier between the rigid peripheral edges (24) of the base member (10) and the body of the wearer. An athletic protector as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the thickened peripheral portion (60) of the flexible, resilient body (40) terminates at a rounded end (68) having a crescent-shaped cross sectional geometry with a convex outer surface (61) and a concave surface (63). An athletic protector as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the upper sedgment of the peripheral edge of the rigid cup-shaped base member (10) terminates at a first integral lip (22) and the lower segment of the peripheral edge terminates in a second integral lip (20), the flexible, resilient body (40) enveloping both the first and second lips (22,20).

Inventors: LANDI JAMES J, LANDI, JAMES J.
Applicants: LANDI JAMES J, LANDI, JAMES J.
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A63B71
IPC codes: A63B71