Abstract:
A garment has a pants leg with a front layer stitched along an outer peripheral seam to the pants leg to form a pocket with an interior cavity. The front layer has a central opening spaced from the outer peripheral seam and defined by an inner periphery. A protective insert, which may be formed of foam, and which is larger than the central opening is removably positionable within the pocket. A stiff cap formed of a material such as SANTOPRENE® thermoplastic elastomer, is stitched to the insert. The cap has a flange which projects outwardly from a central region around a line of attachment. The central region is no larger than the pocket central opening. The insert is removably receivable within the pocket such that the inner periphery of the front layer is engaged between the stiff cap flange and the insert.

Description:
STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
   The U.S. Government has a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of contract No. DAAD 16-01-C-0061 awarded by the US Army Robert Morris Acquisition Natick Contracting Division of the United States Department of Defense. 
   CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not applicable. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to protective clothing in general, and more particularly to garments which incorporate pads for protection of the wearer&#39;s joints such as elbows and knees. 
   There are many activities which require practitioners to take on cramped or reduced postures, such as crouching, crawling or lying prone, either momentarily or for extended periods. Moreover, it is sometimes necessary to assume these positions rapidly or unexpectedly. Kneeling and crawling, or collapsing to the knees, can be particularly injurious to the knees, either as a result of abrasion in the form of scraping, cutting, or puncturing, or as a result of impact or trauma. Flooring installers, carpenters, plumbers, and electricians are examples of tradesman who must occasionally or regularly spend time on their knees. Police officers, customs officials, and soldiers also are frequently required to kneel, crouch, or crawl, and often instantaneously in response to a sudden threat. Certain sporting and leisure activities can also lead to joint injuries if precautions are not taken. 
   Conventional knee and elbow pads provide some measure of protection against impact by supplying a cushion over the joint. In addition, the force of a point impact can be distributed over a greater surface area by stiff shells which are fastened to the cushion. The stiff shells also provide protection against minor cuts and abrasions, while at the same time protecting the cushion itself from degradation. 
   Elbow and knee pads are commonly of one of two types. Independent pads are mounted directly to the wearer&#39;s limbs by straps or belts. These devices offer the advantage of being securely attached in the vicinity of the joint to be protected, and being readily replaced for cleaning or repair. This type of pad is often employed where the wearer is otherwise lightly clad, such as in certain sporting activities. However, the tight elastic straps can be uncomfortable or can limit mobility. Moreover, the close-fitting pads can be especially hot during extended wear. In addition, the independent pads can be difficult to combine with other necessary garments, such as coveralls, fatigues, or jumpsuits, as the padding may, when used in combination with such clothing, restrict movement and ventilation and interfere with the garment. Furthermore, the hard shell of an independent pad, if worn interior to the garment, can result in the shredding or abrasion of the garment itself, which is caught between the hard shell of the pad and the hard exterior objects. If worn exterior to the garment, the pad can be excessively restrictive of the movement of the garment, and impair the mobility of the wearer. 
   Garment-mounted pads are often more comfortable, and the hard shell of the pad worn on the exterior of the garment fabric serves to extend the life of the garment itself. Garment and pad wear may, however, progress at different rates, and it may be desirable to replace one and not the other. Or, it may be necessary to remove any foam padding in order to adequately wash the garment, or to safely subject the garment to drying heat. Some garments have pockets into which the foam pad is inserted, but if the hard shell is also inserted into this type of pocket, it would no longer provide protection for the garment fabric. 
   What is needed is a replaceable garment mounted pad assembly, which includes both cushioning foam and an outwardly facing stiff shell, and which can be readily removed and reinstalled or replaced. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The protective pad assembly of this invention has a stiff plastic cap which is attached to a resilient cushioning insert or pad in such a way that a stiff flange projects outwardly from the cap to define a gap between the flange and the cushioning pad which can receive the fabric of an outer layer of a centrally opening pocket formed on the garment. The outer layer is a sheet of material with a central opening, which is stitched to the fabric of a garment pants leg or arm on all four sides. The pocket cavity so defined may open only frontwardly through the central opening. The pad is flexible and larger than the central opening in the outer layer covering the knee or elbow. The pad can be inserted by flexing and compressing it into the circumferential hole so that the circumferential lip defining the hole in the outer layer is sandwiched between the shell and the pad. The cap and the pad are thus held in position, but both parts are readily removed for cleaning, repair, or replacement. An adjustable resilient strap may be attached to the interior of the garment to permit adjustment of the fit of the pad assembly. Alternatively, the central opening may be formed in a front layer without any backing garment substrate, so that the pad may be engaged directly by the wearer. 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective pad assembly for a garment which protects the garment and the wearer from abrasion and impact. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective pad assembly which is readily removed and replaced, and which is connected to a garment, without being directly connected to the wearer. 
   Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a protective pad insert of the protective assembly of this invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a garment having a pocket adapted to receive the protective pad insert of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the garment of  FIG. 2  with the protective pad insert of  FIG. 1  removably received therein. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of  FIG. 3  taken along section line  4 — 4 . 
       FIG. 5  is a side elevational view, partially broken away in section of an alternative embodiment protective assembly of this invention, in which the pad may engage directly against a wearer&#39;s knee. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment protective assembly of this invention, with the protective insert removed from the garment, and showing a draw string assembly prior to being constricted. 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of yet another alternative embodiment protective assembly of this invention, in which the protective insert pocket has an opening along one edge which is closed with a flap. 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of an alternative embodiment protective assembly of this invention having a knee and shin protective cap attached to a single cushioning insert and receivable within a front layer of material having two front openings. 
       FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment protective assembly of this invention having a stiff cap which is separable from the insert in a snap fit relationship. 
       FIG. 10  is a fragmentary perspective view of yet another alternative embodiment protective assembly of this invention, in which the insert is attached to the front layer of the pocket by a hook and loop fastener. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring more particularly to  FIGS. 1–10 , wherein like numbers refer to similar parts, a protective pad assembly  20  is shown in  FIGS. 1–4 . The protective pad assembly  20  is comprised of a protective element  22  shown in  FIG. 1 , and a pocket  24  formed on a pants leg  26  of a garment  28 , for example a soldier&#39;s fatigues. The pocket  24  is accessible through a central opening  36 , and in a first embodiment is not open at the top or sides as in a common pocket. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the pocket  24  is defined between a fabric front layer  30  and a frontwardly facing fabric substrate  32  of the garment  28 . The protective pad assembly illustrated is a knee pad assembly, but a similar arrangement for an elbow or other body area pad may be provided. 
   The front layer  30  is connected to the garment substrate  32  at an outer peripheral seam  34 , formed, for example, by stitching. A central opening  36  is defined in the front layer  30  which has an inner periphery  38  which may be finished by a sewn seam. It will be noted that the front layer  30  does not lie flat against the garment substrate  32 , but is spaced from the substrate to define a pocket interior cavity  40  which is dimensioned to snugly receive portions of the protective element  22 . The pocket  24  permits the insertion of portions of the protective element  22  through the frontwardly facing central opening  36 . 
   The protective element  22 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , has a stiff cap  42  which is connected to a protective cushioning insert  44 . The insert, as shown in  FIG. 1 , is a tapered rectangle of cushioning material. The insert  44  is generally resilient and may be dual density polyethylene/EVA foam and may be about ¼ to ¾ inches thick. The stiff cap  42  may be fabricated of a thermoplastic elastomer such as SANTOPRENE® plastic material manufactured by Advanced Elastomer Systems of Exxon Mobil Corporation. This plastic material, although stiffer than most rubbers, nonetheless is generally softer than a plastic such as polyethylene. The stiff cap  42  may be a molded material, which preferably has a slightly convex shape to give strength and stiffness and selected to protect the joint for which it is intended. It will be noted that the stiff cap  42  has some resilience, permitting a small amount of bending of portions of the cap. As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the cap  42  has formed therein a shallow groove  46  which encircles the cap center  48 . A flange  50 , about one-half inch wide, extends outwardly from the groove  46  and from the cap center  48 . The back side of the flange  50  is preferably formed with a narrow peripheral ridge  52  which is approximately a semicylindrical bead which faces toward the pocket front layer  30 . The groove  46  permits a thread  54  to be stitched through the cap and the cushioning insert  44 , thereby connecting the cap  42  to the protective cushioning insert  44  without the thread protruding outwardly from the cap. Other effective connection mechanisms between the cap and the insert  44  may be employed, so long as the flange  50  remains protruding from the cap  42 . The flange  50  is thus not fixed to the insert  44  outwardly of the groove  46 , with the result that a gap  56  is defined between the cap and the insert  44 . The size of the cap center  48  is selected to be slightly smaller than the size of the inner periphery  38  of the pocket central opening  36 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the insert  44  may be inserted into the interior cavity  40  of the pocket  24  such that the inner periphery  38  of the pocket front layer  30  is received within the gap  56  between the cap  42  flange  50  and the insert  44 . The cap  42  engages the material of the front layer  30 , and thereby holds the protective element  22  in place. The insert  44  may be substantially larger than the cap  42 . For example, a cap  42  which is about four inches wide and five inches high, may be connected to an insert which is about five inches wide and ten inches high. The cap  42  may be positioned closer to the top of the insert  44  than to the bottom. To attach the protective element  22  to the garment  28 , the protective element is held so that the downwardly tapered insert  44  is compressed to pass through the central opening  36 . The insert  44  is advanced until the fabric of the pocket front layer  30  is received in the gap  56  beneath the beadlike ridge  52  on the rear of the cap flange  50 . The insert  44 , which is readily compressed and distorted, is then worked around the perimeter of the cap  42  so the edge of the pocket front layer goes under the cap flange. 
   Any tendency for the upper portion of the insert  44  to move downward in the pocket as the wearer&#39;s joint is flexed may be resisted by a two-part fastener extending between the insert  44  and the pocket front layer  30 . The two-part fastener may be a hook-and-loop fastener  58  such as VELCRO® fastener from Velcro Industries B.V., or another conventional fastener such as a snap fastener having a socket as one part, and a stud as the other part. The fastener  58  has an insert portion  60  facing frontwardly and affixed to the insert  44  above the cap, and a pocket portion  62  affixed to the pocket front layer  30  inside the pocket and facing the garment substrate  32 . When the insert  44  is in position within the pocket  24 , the two strips of hook-and-loop fastener  58  are engaged with one another to retain the protective element  22  in place. 
   The protective element  22  is thus securely fastened to the garment, without the need for constricting bands attached directly to the wearer, promoting greater mobility and comfort of the wearer. Moreover, the protective element  22  is readily removed for cleaning or replacement. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the garment  28  may be provided with an adjustable band  64  which adjusts the fit of the pants leg  26  without itself fully encircling the wearer&#39;s leg  66 . The band  64  is positioned on the interior of the garment, and may be formed of two straps  68 , at least one of which may be of an elastic material. Both straps are fastened to the pants leg, and each has one part of a hook-and-loop fastener  70 . The pants leg  26  may be formed with a side zipper  72  which runs upwardly from the lower end of the pants leg, such as on ski pants. The band  64  does not cross the zipper, but may be adjusted to tighten the rear of the pants leg before the zipper  72  is closed. The band  64  is positioned behind and just below the knee of the wearer. 
   An alternative embodiment protective pad assembly  74  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The protective pad assembly  74  has a protective element  22  as in the assembly  20 , but is used in connection with a garment  76  in which the front layer  78  does not overlie the garment substrate. Instead the front layer  78  is continuous with or is connected to the substrate, and the front layer is open at its rear to the wearer&#39;s limb  66  having the joint to be protected. The front layer  78  has an inner periphery  80  defining a central opening  82 . As in the assembly  20 , the stiff cap  42  is positioned frontwardly of the front layer  78 , and the protective cushioning insert  44  extends rearwardly of the front layer, with the fabric of the front layer engaged between the flange  50  of the cap  42  and the cushioning insert  44 . In the assembly  74 , the cushioning insert  44  may engage directly against the wearer&#39;s leg, without the substrate of the garment intervening. The assembly  74  may also be provided with an exterior rear adjustable belt  84  in addition to or in place of the interior adjustable band  64  shown in  FIG. 4 . The adjustable belt  84  is attached to the exterior of the garment and is used to adjust the fit of the pants leg  86  of the garment, without itself fully encircling the wearer&#39;s leg  66 . The adjustable belt  84  may be formed of two straps  88 , at least one of which may be of an elastic material. Both straps  88  are fastened to the pants leg  86 , and each has one part of a hook-and-loop fastener  70 . 
   An alternative embodiment protective pad assembly is shown in  FIG. 6  which is similar to the assembly  20 , but which has a garment assembly  89  with a hem or casing  91  around the inner periphery  90  of the front layer  92  surrounding the central opening  96  through which a drawstring  94  extends. The drawstring is an inelastic or elastic cord, and it works with a protective element  22  as described above (not shown in  FIG. 6 ). By adjusting the drawstring  94  and tying the ends together or by using a conventional adjustable mechanical fastener where the ends come together, the diameter of the central opening  96  is reduced after the protective element  22  is in place, thereby securing the cap  42  to the front layer by sandwiching the constricted diameter opening between the cap and the cushioning insert  44  of the protective element. Alternatively, the cord may be an elastic member that may be inaccessible to the user. Such a device would simply permit the central opening to be stretched when the protective element cap is inserted through the central opening  96 . The opening would then return to a smaller size under the force of the elastic member. 
   Another alternative embodiment protective pad assembly  100  is shown in  FIG. 7 . The assembly  100  is similar to the assembly  20 , except that the pocket  102  formed between the garment  104  substrate  106  and the front layer  108  having a central opening (not shown), has an opening at the top to permit the protective element  22  to be inserted between the front layer  108  and the substrate  106 . The protective element  22  is installed by first folding up a pocket flap  112 , and then inserting the element through an outer periphery opening  116 . The cap  42  is then worked through the central opening, and secured in place as described with respect to the assembly  20 . Once the element  22  is installed, the pocket flap  112  is closed, and secured in place with a conventional fastener, such as a two-part hook-and-loop fastener  114 . It should be noted that although the pocket outer periphery opening  116  is shown in an upper edge, the opening and the covering flap  112  may alternatively be formed in a side or the bottom of the pocket. 
   Alternatively, the adjustable belt may be provided as a single strap which passes through a loop fastened to the interior of the garment, and then attaching back to itself. Or, alternatively, the adjustable belt may be a single strap fastened at one end to the garment and having hook and loop fastener material which fastens to hook and loop fastener material on the garment interior itself. Or both these alternatives may be provided on the exterior of the garment. 
   It should be noted that a protective element could have a single insert which is provided with two or more stiff caps, each one being engagable with a separate opening in the front layer of material. For example, as shown in  FIG. 8 , a combination knee and shin guard protective assembly  120  has a protective element  121  with a stiff knee cap  122  and a stiff shin cap  124  fastened to a single cushioning insert  126 . The insert  126  is received within a pocket  128  defined between a front layer  130  of fabric and the front of the garment  132  pants leg  134 . The front layer  130  has a top central opening  136  with which the knee cap  122  engages, and a lower central opening  138  with which the shin cap  124  engages. The knee cap  122  and shin cap  124  each have protruding flanges which engage the fabric of the front layer around the openings  136 ,  138  in a fashion similar to that described above with respect to the assembly  20 . The protective element  121  may be provided with hook and loop fasteners  140  to engage with the inwardly facing surface of the front layer  130 . 
   It should be noted that the protective element may be formed as a single molded plastic part, rather than as an assembly of two parts. The protective element could be formed in the mold with two different plastic materials introduced into the mold, one material forming the more resilient insert, and one forming the stiffer cap. Alternatively, the stiff cap and the outer surface of the cushioning insert could be formed as a single part, for example of SANTOPRENE® plastic material, and the remainder of the cushioning insert could be formed as sheet of foam material glued or stitched to said single part. 
   Another alternative embodiment protective element  142  is shown in  FIG. 9 . The protective element  142  has a cushioning insert  144  with a molded plastic front wall  146  to which a foam sheet  148  is adhered. The front wall  146  has a snap fit projection  150  which engages with a rearwardly extending snap fit protrusion  152  on the stiff cap  154 . When used with the garment  104 , shown in  FIG. 7 , the insert  144  is positioned within the pocket  102 , and the cap is releasably snapped into place to secure the cap  154  to the insert  144 , the front layer is thereby clamped between the cap and the cushioning insert  144 . Alternatively, threaded structures may be formed on the insert and the cap to allow the two parts to be releasbly screwed together. 
   It should be further noted that the protective element may engage with the front layer of material on the garment without engagement between the cap and the front layer. An alternative embodiment protective assembly  156 , shown in  FIG. 10 , has a garment  158  with a front layer  160  having a central opening  162  which is slightly larger than the cap  164 , for example, large enough to define about a 1/16 inch margin around the cap when it is installed. The cap  164  is fixed to a cushioning insert  166  which is received within the pocket  168 . One half  170  of a two-part fastener is affixed to the frontwardly facing surface  172  of the insert  166  in a strip which encircles the cap  164 , and the other half  174  of the two-part fastener is fixed to the interior of the front layer of fabric encircling the central opening  162 . The two-part fastener is preferably VELCRO® hook and loop fastener, or multiple snap fasteners, or other conventional fastener. 
   It should also be noted that a gap may be formed entirely on structure of the stiff cap to engage the inner periphery of the central opening in the front layer. Thus the cap can engage the front layer with a molded groove into which the front layer extends, without requiring the front layer to be engaged directly against the cushioning insert. 
   It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.