Abstract:
A protective garment ( 10 ) is provided for cushioning blows imparted upon the wearer&#39;s body. Preferably, the protective garment ( 10 ) is an upper body protection garment ( 10 ) that is intended to cushion blows imparted upon the upper body of a user. The upper body protective garment ( 10 ) includes a chest protector portion ( 12 ), a back protector portion, and a pair of shoulder protector portions ( 14 ). These protector portions ( 12,14 ) preferably form a single integral unit. An absorbing cap ( 18 ) is preferably located on each of the shoulder protector portions ( 14 ) and the chest protector portion ( 12 ). The absorbing cap ( 18 ) includes an inner shell ( 22 ) that is secured to the protector portion ( 12,14 ) and a resilient outer shell ( 20 ) that is secured to the protector portion ( 12,14 ) about its periphery ( 28 ) but has a portion that is spaced apart from and above the stiff inner member to form a cavity ( 24 ) therebetween. The absorbing cap ( 18 ) disperses the force from a blow delivered to an individual&#39;s upper body by allowing that resilient outer shell ( 20 ) to move inwardly toward the inner shell ( 22 ).

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates generally to protective garments for an individual&#39;s body, and more particularly to protective garments with resilient outer shells integrated therein for cushioning against blows imparted upon the upper body during athletic competition. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Upper body protective garments are commonly worn by participants of contact sports for the purpose of preventing injuries to their shoulders, back, and chest. These kinds of injuries are ordinarily associated with sports such as lacrosse, hockey, and football. In these contact sports, various situations may cause upper body injuries. Examples of these situations include tackling or otherwise bumping into other players, falling to the ground, being struck by another player&#39;s equipment, or being struck by game ball itself. Of course, upper body protective garments may reduce or prevent injuries resulting from various other circumstances, including those not associated with contact sports. 
   Existing upper body protective garments utilize a relatively significant amount of foam padding for absorbing the energy of blows delivered to the user&#39;s upper body. Moreover, a rigid cover, typically made of plastic, usually overlays the foam padding so as to distribute the force of the blow across a larger area of the foam padding. As is known in the art, distributing the force in this manner permits the foam padding to absorb a substantial portion of the energy associated with the blow. 
   A drawback of using foam padding is that the repeated compression and expansion of the foam padding may over time cause the foam padding to fatigue and lose its ability to absorb energy. Another drawback is that the combined use of the foam padding and the rigid cover adds relatively significant weight to the protective garment. Since lightweight athletic garments are known for allowing players to expend more energy participating in the sport instead of carrying the weight of the gear, the added weight is an undesirable result. 
   Therefore, a need exists for upper body protective gear that cushions against powerful blows and is relatively lightweight and long-lasting. 
   Protective equipment also exists to protect other parts of the body from injury during contact athletic events. Such protective equipment includes gloves, shin guards, and hip pads. This protective equipment like the upper body protective gear described above, is typically comprised of foam padding or foam padding with a plastic cover and thus suffers from the same deficiencies discussed above. 
   Therefore, a need also exists for protective equipment for any part of the body that cushions against powerful blows and is relatively lightweight and long-lasting. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide protective equipment with improved protection for the body of a user. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide protective equipment that is durable and can withstand a substantial number of blows over a significant period of time. 
   It is yet another object of the present invention to provide protective equipment that is lightweight and allows a user to expend less energy carrying the garment. 
   In accordance with the above and other objects of the present invention, a protective garment is provided for cushioning blows imparted upon the body of a user. The protective garment includes a first portion that is intended to overlay a portion of the user&#39;s body and provide protection thereto. The first portion includes a resilient outer plastic shell and an inner shell separated from the outer shell. The outer shell and the inner shell are separated by non-pressurized gas and form a cavity therebetween. The combination of these elements allows for the absorption of the energy of a blow delivered to an individuals body. 
   One advantage of the present invention is that a user is protected from harmful forces that may injure his shoulders, chest, and back, as well as other parts of the body. 
   Another advantage of the present invention is that the protection garment has a minimized weight for permitting a user to expend more energy participating in an ongoing activity, rather than in merely carrying the garment. 
   Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the protection garment is durable and can absorb numerous blows over a substantial period of time. 
   Other advantages of the present invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be made to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an upper body protective garment worn by a user, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2A  is a cross-sectional view of a resilient force absorbing cap as shown in  FIG. 1 , taken along line  2 A— 2 A; 
       FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of a resilient force absorbing cap cushioning a blow, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2C  is a cross-sectional view of a resilient force absorbing cap cushioning a blow, in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart depicting a method for cushioning a blow, in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   In the following figures, the same reference numerals are used to identify the same components in the various views. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is generally shown an upper body protective garment  10  (“garment”) worn by a user for the purpose of cushioning against blows delivered to the user&#39;s upper body. In general, the garment  10  includes a pair of shoulder protector portions  14  with a chest protector portion  12  and a back protector portion (not shown) extending therefrom. Also, the sides of the chest protector portion  12  and the back protector portion may be joined by adjustable straps or various other attachment devices. The pair of shoulder protector portions  14 , the chest protector portion  12 , and the back protector portion are preferably configured as a single unit such that the user can put it on as a single unit. 
   It will be appreciated that while the protective garment is preferably for protecting the upper body of a user, it will be understood that the protective garment may be utilized to protect a variety of different body parts. The protective garment may, for example, be used to protect a user&#39;s elbow, shin, hand, wrist, forearm and hip as well as other parts of the body. 
   The garment  10  also preferably includes an arm protector  16  extending from each shoulder protector portion  14 . These arm protectors  16  are well known in the art and may be constructed from a variety of different compositions, including foam padding. 
   Referring primarily to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the chest protector portion  12  and the shoulder protector portions  14  each preferably include a resilient force absorbing cap  18  for cushioning against blows delivered to the user&#39;s upper body. Each cap  18  preferably includes a resilient outer shell  20  that is substantially spread across an inner shell  22  in a manner that leaves a cavity  24  between the resilient outer shell  20  and the inner shell  22 . Specifically, a boundary portion  26  of the resilient outer shell  20  is preferably sewn or otherwise coupled to or adjacent to a peripheral portion  28  of the inner shell  22  such that substantially all of the outer shell  20  overlaps the inner shell  22 . Alternatively, the absorbing cap  18  can be configured with the boundary portion  26  and the peripheral portion  28  both attached to the garment  10  such that a smaller portion of the outer shell  20  lies over the inner shell  22 . The combination of the outer shell  20 , the inner shell  22  and the cavity  24  form an absorbing cap  18 . The absorbing cap  18  can be located anywhere on the garment as well as on any other piece of protective equipment. 
   The boundary portion  26  is preferably covered with a boundary guard  30  for preventing damage to the boundary portion  26  of the rigid outer shell  20  as well as to maintain it in place. The boundary guard  30  may be comprised of a cloth material, plastic material, or any other suitable material that prevents damage to the boundary portion  30 . In this respect, the boundary guard  30  prevents initial tearing of the boundary portion  26 , as well as subsequent tearing of the remainder of the resilient outer shell  20 . Likewise, the peripheral portion  28  of the inner shell  22  is preferably covered by a periphery guard  32  that is similar to the boundary guard  30  in both structure and purpose. 
   The resilient outer shell  20  is preferably comprised of a flexible thermal-plastic material that deforms when subjected to a force and then returns to its original shape when the force is removed. Of course, the resilient outer shell  20  may be made of various other suitable materials that accomplish the same function. For example, it is envisioned that a flexible rubber material could also be utilized. The resilient outer shell  20  is intended to receive a blow and deform inwardly. As is known in the art, deformation of materials requires the absorption of energy. In this regard, the resilient outer shell  20  absorbs a substantial portion of the energy associated with the blow. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the resilient outer shell  20  is preferably curved outward from the inner shell  22  in a manner that allows the resilient outer shell  20  to resist a substantial amount of force. In other words, the outer shell  20  preferably has a somewhat arcuate or dome shape. 
   Furthermore, the resilient outer shell  20  has an elevated shell portion  40  intended to provide enhanced protection to a portion of the user&#39;s body that is highly susceptible to injury. The elevated shell portion  40  is configured to overlie a more susceptible part of the body, such as a shoulder blade. The elevated shell portion  40  preferably is disposed slightly farther from the inner shell  22  than the remainder of the resilient outer shell  20 . As a result, the elevated shell portion  40  would travel a greater distance before contacting the inner shell  22  and thus disperse more energy. In this regard, the elevated shell portion  40  preferably only contacts the inner shell  22  if the resilient outer shell  20  is substantially deformed. As is known in the art, substantial deformation of a material absorbs a significant amount of energy. Therefore, the elevated shell portion  40  is beneficial for protecting the areas of the body prone to injury. 
   Furthermore, the cavity  24  is preferably filled with a non-pressurized gas  34  that may compress when the resilient outer shell  20  is deformed inwardly, but also provides at least a slight resisting force. As is known in the art, energy is required to compress a gas. In this respect, additional energy associated with the blow is absorbed when the non-pressurized gas  34  is compressed. 
   Moreover, the non-pressurized gas  34  may also evenly distribute the force of the blow across the surface area of the inner shell  22 . As best shown in  FIGS. 2B and 2C , the non-pressurized gas  34  exerts relatively equal pressure on the surface areas defining the cavity  24 . A person skilled in the art will understand that spreading out the force of the blow decreases the probability of damage to the inner shell  22  and thus injury to the user. Consequently, weight, thickness, and overall strength requirements of the inner shell  22  are reduced. In contrast, one skilled in the art would understand that concentrating the force onto a discrete portion of the inner shell  22  may increase the probability of damage to the garment  10  and harm to the user. Such an adverse result would require greater weight, thickness, and overall strength requirements of the inner shell  22 . 
   Preferably, the non-pressurized gas  34  is gas. However, it is understood that various other gasses may be disposed within the cavity  24 . Moreover, the inner shell  22  is also preferably formed from a plastic material. However, the inner shell  22  preferably has a greater stiffness than the outer shell  20 . 
   Each inner shell  22  also preferably includes an energy-absorbent padding  36  adhered or otherwise attached thereto. The padding  36  may be comprised of a minimized amount of foam padding or other compressible materials suitable for absorbing additional energy of a blow. The energy-absorbent padding  36  is also intended to provide for a comfortable fit of the garment  10  on the user. 
   It will also be understood that the amount of energy that the outer shell  20  is able to disperse will depend upon the height at which the outer shell  20  extends over the garment as well as the thickness of the material and the type of material. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the inner shell  22  can be eliminated if the cavity  24  is made larger to increase the length of deformation or if the material thickness or property is sufficient to disperse energy with the outer shell  20  making significant contact with the foam or other protector portion lying beneath the outer shell  20 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 2C , there is shown a cross-sectional view of a resilient force absorbing cap  18  according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention. This cap  18  is substantially similar to the cap  18  disclosed in the preferred embodiment. In particular, the cap  18  includes a resilient outer shell  20  coupled to an inner shell  22  so as to leave a cavity  24  between the outer shell  20  and the inner shell  22 . Also, the resilient outer shell  20  includes a boundary portion  26  that is attached to a peripheral portion  28  of the inner shell  22 . The inner shell  22  may also have an energy-absorbent padding  36  adhered thereto, as disclosed in the preferred embodiment. 
   In contrast to the preferred embodiment described above, the alternative embodiment includes at least one relief port  38  integrated within the resilient outer shell  20 , the inner shell  22 , or both the resilient outer shell  20  and the inner shell  22 . The relief port  38  is intended to permit a non-pressurized gas  34 , preferably gas, within the cavity  24  to exit the cavity  24  when the resilient outer shell  20  is deformed inwardly. As one skilled in the art will understand, permitting the non-pressurized gas  34  to exit the cavity  18  prevents pressure from building therein. In doing so, less force is applied to the surface areas defining the cavity  24 . As a result, the longevity of the outer shell  20  and the inner shell  22  are increased. When the force is removed from the resilient outer shell  20 , the resilient outer shell  20  would return to its original shape and gas would reenter through the relief ports  38 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a flowchart depicting a method for cushioning a blow delivered to an individual&#39;s body, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The method commences at step  50  and immediately proceeds to step  52 . 
   In step  52 , a blow is delivered to the body of an individual wearing an upper body protective garment  10  or other body protective garment, as described above. This garment  10  includes at least one resilient shell  22  integrated therein for cushioning against the blow. 
   In particular, the force of the blow is imparted upon the resilient outer shell  20 . The resilient outer shell  20  is preferably comprised of a flexible plastic material that can deform inwardly when it receives a force and then return to its original shape when the force is removed. However, it is understood that the resilient outer shell  20  may be comprised of various other suitable materials for absorbing energy. Also, this force may originate from a variety of circumstances, e.g. bumping into other players in a contact sport or being hit by a stick, such as a lacrosse head. The sequence then proceeds to step  54 . 
   In step  54 , the resilient outer shell  20  deforms inwardly and absorbs a portion of the energy associated with the blow. As is known in the art, deformation of material requires the absorption of energy. In this regard, the resilient outer shell  20  cushions against the blow. Then, the sequence proceeds to step  56 . 
   In step  56 , gas  34  within the cavity  24  is compressed as the resilient outer shell  20  deforms inwardly. A person skilled in the art also understands that energy is required to compress a gas. In this regard, additional energy associated with the blow is absorbed as the gas is compressed. The sequence then proceeds to step  58 . 
   In step  58 , the force of the blow is distributed across the surface area of the inner shell  22  or protector portion, e.g. foam padding, if the inner shell  22  is omitted. This step is accomplished by allowing the gas  34  to exert equal pressure on all surfaces defining the cavity  24 . As a result, the force of the blow is dispersed across a relatively large area thereby reducing the likelihood of damage to the garment  10  or harm to the user. The sequence then proceeds to step  60 . 
   In step  60 , the gas  34  is released through a relief port  34  integrated within either the resilient outer shell  20  or the inner shell  22 . As a result, pressure within the cavity  24  is decreased. The decreased pressure likewise decreases the likelihood of damage to the inner shell  22 . In this respect, the weight, thickness, and overall strength requirements of the inner shell  22  are minimized thereby decreasing the weight and the raw material costs of the inner shell  22 . The sequence then proceeds to step  62 . 
   In step  62 , an energy-absorbent padding  36  is compressed so as to receive additional energy from the blow. This padding  36  is preferably adhered or otherwise connected to the inner shell  22 . In addition to cushioning against the force of the blow, the padding  36  is intended to provide for a comfortable fit of the garment  10  on the user. 
   While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, numerous variations and alternate embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only in terms of the appended claims.