Abstract:
Interlocking protective devices may comprise components that are joined by interlocking edge connections formed by mating interlocking edges of individual components. Components may be made of impact resistant materials that are semi-rigid. Interlocking edge connections may provide a degree of flexibility for the protective device while mechanically and/or frictionally retaining components together.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to athletic safety and injury prevention. More particularly, the present invention relates to an impact protection device to be worn by an athlete participating in a contact sport, such as American football. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    Many sports, such as American football, inherently involve physical contact between players, with the ground, and/or with equipment. Numerous efforts have been made to prevent or at least reduce the occurrence of injuries to players as a result of such contact. Protective equipment such as helmets, shoulder pads, and pads have been used for protecting portions of the body of athletes. Such protective equipment has often been constructed, at least in part, of a compressible material such as foam. These types of equipment have decreased, but not completely eliminated, injuries occurring due to playing and/or practicing contact sports such as American football. 
         [0004]    The use of protective equipment has been mandated by various organizations that promulgate the rules of contact sports for participants. Often, the very athletes at risk for injury resist the use of additional protective equipment, whether mandated or voluntary. While every individual athlete may have his or her own reason for eschewing required or suggested protective gear, common explanations are complaints that the protective gear is uncomfortable, restricts motion, distracts the athlete, or otherwise negatively impacts the athlete&#39;s performance. Accordingly, athletes participating in contact sports with a risk of injury may benefit from improved protective gear that protects the athlete from injury with minimal or no negative impact on the athlete&#39;s performance. Such protective gear should be comfortable and permit a full range of movement by the wearer, while still providing sufficient protection from impacts that may typically occur during participation in the sport. 
         [0005]    A protective device in accordance with the present invention provides improved impact protection for athletes participating in contact sports such as American football, soccer (world football), hockey, lacrosse, or any other contact sport permitting participants to wear protective gear. A protective device in accordance with the present invention may be particularly suitable for protecting large muscle areas of the wearer from impact, but may be used to protect other portions of a wearer&#39;s anatomy without the party from the scope of the present invention. One example of a large muscle area that may be protected using a device in accordance with the present invention are the thighs of an American football player. 
         [0006]    Protective devices in accordance with the present invention may comprise at least two interlocking components that join along interlocking edge(s). Each component may be shaped in three dimensions to conform to a sub-portion of the anatomy of the wearer to be protected, such that when the components are interlocked the protective device conforms to the portion of the anatomy to be protected when worn. Components of a protective device may be fabricated from semi-rigid, impact resistant materials. Examples of suitable materials may be various nylons, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene, copolyesters, moldable carbon fibers, plastics, composites, rubbers, nylons, elastomers, and the like. Interlocking edges of components may mechanically and/or frictionally retaining the components together along the interlocking edge(s) while still permitting a degree of flex or movement along the interlocking edge(s). Interlocking edges may provide a plurality of tabs and notches that mate with corresponding notches and tabs of an interlocking edge of an adjacent component. A protective device may comprise any number of components and any number of interlocking edges. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected examples. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a football player that may wear a protective device in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate an example of a protective device in accordance with the present invention formed by interlocking components; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  illustrates a further example of a protective device in accordance with the present invention formed by interlocking components; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  illustrates an example of interlocking edges that may be used for components of a protective device in accordance with the present invention; and 
           [0012]      FIGS. 5A-5C  illustrate a further example of interlocking edges that may be used for components of a protective device in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 5A-5C  illustrate a further example of a protective device in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  illustrates yet a further example of a protective device in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 7A-7B  illustrate yet a further example of a protective device in accordance with the present invention; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  illustrates yet a further example of a protective device in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an athlete  100  wearing protective gear is illustrated. In the example shown in  FIG. 1 , the athlete  100  is an American football player, but athletes participating in any other contact sport may likewise benefit from protective devices in accordance with the present invention. Player  100  is shown wearing a helmet  110  and shoulder pads  120  beneath a jersey  102 . In the example shown in  FIG. 1 , player  100  is also wearing chest protection  130 , which may comprise a flak jacket or similar item, and abdominal protection  140  beneath jersey  102 . Player is further illustrated wearing a right elbow pad  150  and a left elbow pad  152 . Player  100  is also wearing a right thigh pad  160  and a left thigh pad  162  and a right knee pad  170  and a left knee pad  172  beneath pants  104 . Pants  104  may have pockets (not shown) on either the outside or, more typically, the inside to retain pads such as thigh pads  160 ,  162  and knee pads  170 ,  172 . Player  100  is further shown wearing shoes  108  and socks  106 . While not currently typical in American football, socks  106  may retain additional pads such as a shin pad (not shown) as more commonly occurs for soccer. 
         [0018]    While the example shown in  FIG. 1  depicts an American football player  100  wearing specific examples of protective devices, the present invention is not limited to American football or the protective devices illustrated in the present example. Subsequent examples described below provide effective devices that may be used as thigh pads  160 ,  162 , but protective devices in accordance with the present mention may be used in conjunction with other types of protection provided in the example shown in  FIG. 1  or to protect portions of the wearer&#39;s anatomy other than those shown in the example of  FIG. 1 . 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIGS. 2A-2C , an example of a protective device  200  formed from interlocking components in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. A protective device  200  may comprise a first component  210  and a second component  220  joined along an interlocking edge connection  230 . Protective device  200  may have a thickness  214  that may be constant or may vary at different locations on protective device  200 . Protective device  200  may have a three-dimensional shape when component  210  and a second component  220  are assembled along interlocking edge connection  230 . The three-dimensional shape of protective device  200  may be determined by the portion of a wearer&#39;s anatomy to be protected by protective device  200 . The three dimensional shape of protective device  200  may comprise a complex curve in three dimensions to conform to the portion of the wearer&#39;s anatomy to be protected by protective device  200 . The first component  210  may conform to a sub-portion of the anatomy to be protected by protective device  200 , and the second component  220  may conform to a second sub-portion of the anatomy to be protected by protective device  200 . For example, first component  210  may conform to a medial portion of a thigh  290  while second component  220  may conform to a lateral portion of a thigh  290 . The dimensions of the assembled protective device  200  and any and all components (such as first component  210  and second component  220 ) may also vary based upon the type of material used, the portion of a wearer&#39;s anatomy to be protected when the device is worn, the sport for which the protective device is to be used, the gender/size/position played by the athlete wearing the device, the types of impacts intended to be protected against, etc. In the example of a protective device  200  intended to be worn by an adult male American football player to protect his thigh, appropriate dimensions for an assembled protective device in accordance with the present invention may be between approximately 15 and 20 centimeters from top to bottom in an as worn position, between approximately 10 and 22 centimeters from side to side in an as worn position, and up to several millimeters in thickness. Other dimensions may be used for devices to protect different body parts, and the thickness of a protective device in accordance with the present invention may vary from about 1 to 3 millimeters for some material selections and uses to a centimeter or more for other materials (such as layers involving compressible materials) and uses. As shown in the examples of  FIGS. 2A-2C , protective device  200  has a concave side  270  and a convex side  280 . In the example of a thigh pad as illustrated in the example of  FIGS. 2A-2C , concave side  270  may partially enclose the thigh of a wearer, either directly or indirectly. Protective device  200  may be retained in position to protect the desired anatomical portion of a wearer using garments, sleeves, tape, adhesives, straps, or any other mechanism. In the present example, may comprise a thigh pad retained within a pocket of pants  104  to be retained over a thigh  290  of a wearer. 
         [0020]    Various materials may be used to form first component  210 , second component  220 , and any additional components used to form an interlocking protective device in accordance with the present invention. Different sports, athletes, and/or portions of a wearer&#39;s anatomy may require different physical properties for a protective device in order to protect against the impacts likely to be encountered by the wearer. Examples of suitable materials are various nylons, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene, copolyesters, moldable carbon fibers, plastics, rubbers, composites, and the like. 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a further example of a protective device  300  in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The example protective device  300  comprises a first component  310 , a second component  320 , and a third component  330 . A first interlocking edge connection  340  may join first component  310  to second component  220 , while a second interlocking edge connection  350  may join second component  320  to third component  330 . In this example, protective device  300  possesses a top terminal edge  391  and a bottom terminal edge  392  comprised of a portion of each of first component  310 , second component  320 , and third component  330 . The other hand, protective device  300  possesses a first side edge  393  comprised entirely of first component  310  and a second side edge  394  comprised entirely of third component  330 . In this example, protective device may have a height  301  and a width  302  conforming to the anatomical portion to be protected when the device  300  is worn, while device may have a thickness  303  selected based upon the material(s) used and the types of impacts anticipated while the device  300  is worn. 
         [0022]    While the examples depicted herein show interlocking edge connections that extend in a substantially vertical fashion, other types of interlocking edge connections may be utilized for protective devices in accordance with the present invention. For example, interlocking edge connections may extend substantially horizontally, diagonally, or in an irregular fashion. Further, different orientations of interlocking edge connections may be used to join different components of a single protective device in accordance with the present invention. Referring now to  FIG. 4 , an example of a protective device  400  comprised of a first component  410  in a second component  420  is shown with the first component  410  and second component  420  not interlocked to form an interlocking edge connection. Interlocking edge  431  of first component  410  may comprise a plurality of tabs  412  and a plurality of notches  413  that mate with a plurality of tabs  422  and a plurality of notches  423  that comprise interlocking edge  432  of second component  420 . The mating of the first interlocking edge  431  of the first component  410  with the second interlocking edge  432  of the second component  420  may form an interlocking edge connection when protective device  400  is assembled. 
         [0023]    Protective device  400  may have an assembled height  401  of between approximately 15-20 centimeters, an assembled width  402  of approximately 10-22 centimeters, and a thickness  403  of approximately 1-5 millimeters. Each tab  412 ,  422  may extend a length  404  from an adjoining notch  413 ,  423 . Tab length  404  may be approximately 2 centimeters, or within a range of about 1-3 centimeters for the present example. 
         [0024]    The frictional force between first interlocking edge  431  and second interlocking edge  432  may secure first component  410  to second component  420 . The connection between first component  410  and second component  420  may be further enhanced by a property referred to as ‘stiction,’ whereby materials in contact resist moving laterally with one another. The materials selected to form the components of a protective device in accordance with the present invention may, in some examples, comprise materials with high stiction properties. For example, copolyesters may have particularly desirable stiction properties for use in protective devices in accordance with the present invention. One example of a suitable copolyester is available from Eastman Chemical Company under the trade name TRITAN. Further, the structural integrity of an interlocking edge connection between a first component  410 , a second component  420 , or any number of components utilized in a protective device in accordance with the present invention may be enhanced by the structure, such as a pocket, that retains a protective device over the portion of the wearer&#39;s anatomy to be protected. However, the presence of an interlocking edge connection, rather than a single continuous component, may provide a degree of flexibility along the interlocking edge connection, thereby enhancing the comfort and mobility of the wearer. 
         [0025]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5A-5C , a further example of the interlocking edges  531 ,  532  of a first component  510  and a second component  520  of a protective device  500  in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. In this example, first component  510  may have a first interlocking edge  531  comprising a plurality of tabs  512  and a plurality of notches  533 . Second component  520  may have an interlocking edge  532  comprising a plurality of tabs  522  and a plurality of notches  523  that mate with the corresponding tabs  512  and notches  533  of the first interlocking edge  531  of the first component  510 . To provide further strength of the interlocking edge connection formed by mating first interlocking edge  531  and second interlocking edge  532 , the notches  523  of the second interlocking edge  532  may possess a thin backer  570  that further mates with tabs  512  of the first interlocking edge  531 . As can be seen more particularly with regard to  FIGS. 5B and 5C , tabs  512  may have a thickness  591  corresponding to a notch thickness  592  that is less than the thickness  590  of first component  510  and second component  520 . Tab thickness  591  may be at least as thick as backer thickness  593 , and tab thickness  591  may be greater than, for example by fifty percent, backer thickness  593 . Accordingly, first interlocking edge  531  and second interlocking edge  532  may engage along three dimensions to provide a stronger interlocking edge connection between first component  510  and second component  520  than may be attainable without backers  570 . In some examples of a protective device in accordance with the present invention backers may be additionally provided in notches  533  of first interlocking edge  531 . If used, backers need not be present for all of the notches of a given interlocking edge. 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , yet a further example of a portion of a protective device  600  in accordance with the present invention is shown. Protective device  600  may comprise a first component  610  joined vertically to a second component  620  by connecting edge  660 . Second component  620  may further connect laterally to fourth component  640  by connecting edge  670 , and fourth component  640  may join vertically to third component  630  by connecting edge  680 . In this example, first component  610 , second component  620 , third component  630 , and fourth component  640  may connect via connecting edges  660 ,  670 ,  680  to leave a gap  690  between first component  610  and third component  630  to permit the assembled protective device  600  to flex and bend more during use than might be the case without a gap  690 . If desired, a gap  690  may be used with any number of components and/or connecting edges rather than the four illustrated in the example of  FIG. 6 , and any gap provided in accordance with the present invention may have a different shape, orientation, and size relative to the protective device than the example illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Further components of a protective device  600  beyond the four illustrated in the example shown in  FIG. 6  may be assembled into a single protective device. Further, any number of gaps may be provided in the assembled protective device to enhance the flexibility of the protective device. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIGS. 7A-7B , a further example of a protective device  700  in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. Protective device  700  may comprise a first component  710  having a first hinge assembly  712  that mates with a second hinge assembly  722  of a second component  720 . A pin  730  may be insertable through the mated first hinge component  712  and the second hinge component  722  to flexibly affix first component  710  and second component  720 . The relative location, orientation, and/or size of a hinge used to affix components of a protective device in accordance with the present invention may vary from that illustrated in this example. Further, more than a single hinge may be used to flexibly affix any number of components to assemble a protective device in accordance with the present invention. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 8 , yet a further example of a protective device in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. Protective device  800  may comprise a first component  810  joined to a second component  820  by joining at least one ball  812  with at least one socket  822  to provide a flexible connection. More than a single ball and socket joint may be used in a protective device in accordance with the present invention, and one or more ball and socket joints may be used with connecting edges that are straight (as illustrated in  FIG. 8 ), shaped in whole or in part as described in other examples herein, or shaped in any other way. The number of individual components joined using ball and socket joints may exceed the two illustrated in the example of  FIG. 8 . Further, the location of a ball and socket joint may differ from that shown, and may have different sizes, locations, and/or orientations relative to components of a protective device than what is shown in the present example. 
         [0029]    Protective devices in accordance with the present invention may be formed in a variety of fashions. For example, an entire protective device may be formed via molding, machining, additive manufacturing processes, or any other technique and then cut (for example, with a saw, knife, or die) to form components with interconnecting edges. Alternatively, individual components with desired interconnecting edges may be formed via molding, machining, additive manufacturing processes, etc. 
         [0030]    Interlocking edges for components of protective devices may have a variety of configurations beyond those described in the examples herein. Interlocking edges may comprise triangular tabs, posts and grooves, more complicated three dimensional structures than the examples provided, etc. Different degrees of protection desired, different anatomical portions to be protected, different types of sports, and/or different ability levels of athletes may benefit from different configurations of interlocking edges, different materials, and/or different configurations of protective devices in accordance with the present invention.