Abstract:
A lightweight interchangeable shield device to protect and prevent injury to individuals involved in baseball related sports activity. The shield device extends integrally from a seat between the legs of the individual protecting the crotch region from being hit with a baseball during practice. The seat can be configured as a closure lid for upright containers having an open end or can be of a contoured cushion configuration. The shield is adaptable to conform to other seat structures independently.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   This device relates to safety sports equipment to prevent groin region injuries to individuals during practice, specifically for baseball or softball catchers. During practice a coach or player often acts as a catcher for their pitcher using any sort of stool or small seat available including a five gallon bucket to sit on for a long period of time. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   A variety of safety equipment has been developed for use in practicing and playing baseball or softball. Typically a catcher has a face mask, shin guards and upper body protection. Additional crotch protection referred to as “cups” are available as athletic supports to protect male players genitalia from injury, such athletic “cups” are typically uncomfortable and inconvenient to put on or take off especially with girl teams. A number of sport related seats have been developed in which storage containers have integrated seat areas for sportsman activities such as fishing, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,760 as well as a portable combination seat and container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,805. Specialized seating for baseball or softball has also been developed to be used during practice, see for example U.S. Pat. D450,943 which illustrates a stool mounted on a spring base. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a safety shield for temporary practice seats of the type used for recreational purposes, during baseball or softball practice. To serve the purpose of an athletic “cup”, the safety shield includes a contoured upstanding panel having a contoured surface, top and side depending edges and is adapted to be an integral part or removable attachment to the rim area of a seating surface. Such integral attachment adaptability can be used on closures for containers used for temporary seating during practice and other contoured independent seating surfaces so used. The safety shield is positioned to extend up between the legs of a seated individual protecting the crotch and groin area from impact by an errant baseball or softball during practice while not encumbering the catcher. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the safety shield of the present invention on a closure seat lid; 
       FIG. 2  is a top plan view thereof; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the seat shield closure seat lid and support bucket for registration therewith; 
       FIG. 4  is a partial sectional view of the seat shield and closure seat lid; 
       FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of a first alternate detachable form of the invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a rear elevational view thereof with portions broken away; 
       FIG. 7  is a partial sectional view thereof; 
       FIG. 8  is a partial front elevational view of an alternate form of the detachable form of the invention with a universal mounting flange; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-section on lines  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIG. 10  is a top plan view thereof; 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a second alternate form of the invention with an integrated seat adapted for support contour; and 
       FIG. 12  is a side elevational view thereof having a swivel base adapter thereon. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1-4  of the drawings, an integrated safety seat shield device  10  can be seen in which an annular seat lid  11  having a seat surface  12  and a depending annular sidewall lip  13  is shown for use on a utility container or the like. The seat lid  11  is preferably of molded synthetic resin material and is configured with the sidewall lipi  3  enclosing a well known lip engagement configuration  14  to registerably fit onto the corresponding container&#39;s upper rim  15  defining an open end  16  of a container  17  such as a five gallon plastic bucket illustrated in this example in  FIG. 3  of the drawings. 
   The seat shield  10  of the invention is of an upstanding integral contoured body member panel  18  with in this example a mid-area of reduced transverse dimension at  19 . Contoured oppositely disposed spaced side edges  20  and  21  extend to and are integral with an upper surface  22  of the lip configuration  13 . The seat shield  10  extends annularly from around a portion  23  of the lip configuration  13  sufficient to allow user&#39;s legs  24  shown in broken lines in  FIG. 2  of the drawings to straddle thereabout as would occur in normal seating position indicative of a legs apart position as shown. 
   The seat shield  10  is of a height generally equal to its transverse width at its intersection with the hereinbefore described sidewall lip portion  13 . The area of reduced transverse dimension at  19  will accommodate the user&#39;s legs  24  so as to provide a more form fitting dimensional cover over the crotch area when, as noted, in a sitting position protecting the user from injuries in that sensitive region. 
   The application of the integral safety seat shield  10  with the seat lid  11  will provide for a single one-piece assembly for registerable engagement with the hereinbefore disclosed bucket container  17  as seen in  FIG. 3  of the drawings. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 5-7  of the drawings, a selectively, engageable and detachable seat shield  25  can be seen having an upstanding contoured curved main body member  26  with a mid-area of reduced transverse dimension at  27  and oppositely disposed contoured side edges  28  and  29  defining a lower base portion  30  and an upper end portion  31 . The base  30  has a pair of elongated engagement tabs  32 A and  32 B extending back and upwards in spaced relation to the main body member  26  as best seen in  FIG. 6  of the drawings and in dotted lines in  FIG. 5  of the drawings. 
   An optional registration ridge at  33  on the surface of the body member  26  is in spaced overlap relation to the representative tabs  32 A and  32 B and acts in unison therewith to secure the seat shield  26  onto a descending wall  34  of a bucket lid shown in broken lines in  FIG. 6  of the drawings and in solid lines in section in  FIG. 5  of the drawings. 
   It will be evident from the above description that the tabs  32 A and  32 B may be modified to accommodate non-standard bucket closures using alternate engagement structures well within the province of those skilled within the art. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 8-10  of the drawings, an alternate mounting configuration can be seen in a seat shield  35  wherein the tabs  32 A and  32 B have been replaced by a mounting flange  36  extends at right angles to a main body member  37  thereof. This mounting flange  36  preferably has a plurality of apertures A therein as best seen in  FIG. 10  of the drawings to affect multiple means for securing the same to different seat surfaces. Alternately, the mounting flange  36  can extend from a bottom free end edge  39  of the body member  21  as shown in broken lines in  FIGS. 8 and 9  of the drawings at  38  providing additional mounting apertures to the seat configuration (not shown). 
   A combined contoured seat closure  40  can be seen in  FIG. 11  of the drawings wherein a contoured seat element  41  has an annular bucket engagement base  42 . The seat element  41  has a curvilinear front end edge  43  with an upturned center area  44  with an integral upstanding seat shield  45  extending therefrom. The seat shield  45  has contoured sides  46 A and  46 B with corresponding areas of increased transverse dimension at  47 A to provide the maximum protection to the user&#39;s crotch area (not shown). A modified rotatable form of the combined seat and closure  48  is illustrated in  FIG. 12  of the drawing in which a swivel assembly  49  is interdisposed between the seat element  41  and the bucket engagement base  42 . The swivel assembly  49  is of a non-proprietary design well known within the art and allows for the contoured seat  41  and modified integral seat shield  45  of the invention to be swiveled 360 degrees in relation to the bucket engagement base  50  shown in broken lines. 
   It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that both the conventional seat and closure  40  and modified rotatable combined seat enclosure  48  may be adapted to other support structures independently of the support storage enclosure illustrated in broken lines in  FIG. 12  of the drawings. 
   As noted, in use, a user would straddle the seat shield  10 ,  25 ,  35  and  40  of the invention in any of the alternate forms hereinbefore described while repeatedly catching a baseball which is common during practice while coaching, for example. The seat shield  10 ,  25 ,  35  and  40  will protect the user from painful injuries to the crotch area by missed or improperly caught balls thrown by co-participants (not shown). 
   Thus, it will be seen that a new and useful seat shield has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.