Abstract:
A customizable protective athletic jacket is disclosed. Specifically, a jacket with a construction which maximizes protection through the composition of various layers while maximizing comfort and flexibility through the proper selection of layer materials is disclosed. Further, methods providing for minimally destructive maintenance and customizing are also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Although the invention is suitable for a wide variety of applications, the description of the preferred embodiment uses it in a jacket meant to be worn by a person playing baseball, softball, or other similar game. The players of such games have always been in danger of being hit by an errantly thrown ball, especially the batter. While much protective equipment has been developed to help minimize pain and injury caused by such impacts, it obstructs some forms of movement, and can be uncomfortable, ineffective, or overly expensive. The present invention addresses these concerns.  
       OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     An object of the invention is to provide a customizable protective athletic jacket.  
         [0003]     A second object of the invention is to provide a jacket which provides a maximum of protection from impact by a thrown ball while minimizing restriction of the wearer.  
         [0004]     A third object of the invention is to provide a jacket which is as comfortable as possible while providing protection from impact by a thrown ball.  
         [0005]     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following disclosure.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention relates to a jacket meant to be worn during games which involve balls which are thrown or hit and which may strike a player during said games. The jacket is customizable in that exterior features may be changed easily. The jacket protects the wearer from impact by preventing penetration and providing an energy-absorbent but flexible section of materials between the wearer and the moving ball. Its design also provides protection for the base of the spine and upper pelvis while allowing free movement, and fits a wide variety of physical body types. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     The characteristic features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims. The descriptions of the preferred embodiment refer to the preceding drawings:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a representational front view of the entire apparatus showing the jacket in a closed position.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a representational front view of the entire apparatus showing the jacket in a closed position and with a cutaway view of the various layers comprising the jacket.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a representational front view of the entire apparatus showing the jacket in a partially open position.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a representational rear view of the entire apparatus showing the jacket in a closed position and with additional features. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0012]     The description of the preferred embodiment uses the invention in a jacket designed to protect batters from errant pitched balls when playing baseball, softball, and other similar games.  
         [0013]     By referring to  FIG. 1 , the basic concept of the invention may be easily understood. The jacket has opening  17  for the player&#39;s neck and openings  15   a  and  15   b  for the player&#39;s right and left arms respectively. When worn, only the outer shell  12  is visible to observers from the front. (See  FIG. 4  for a view from the rear.) The player is protected from the impact of errant pitched balls by features of the jacket described in the following paragraphs.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  shows the features of the jacket. Outer shell  12 , which may be removable, provides the desired external appearance including any unique features such as team colors, logos, and so forth. Under outer shell  12  is located fabric cover  14 , which is permanently sealed to protect and retain the interior components of the jacket and to define its shape. Beneath fabric cover  14  is located ballistic fabric  16 . This comprises one or more layers of very strong, flexible woven material such as that usually referred to as “ballistic Nylon.” Ballistic fabric  16  provides the jacket with structural integrity as well as providing penetration resistance if required, while allowing the jacket to flex with the wearer. It is preferred, but not required, that ballistic fabric  16  be woven in such a way as to allow air and moisture to penetrate it to provide breathability (that is, to allow heat and moisture to escape and cooler exterior air to penetrate.) Under ballistic fabric  16  is found foam layer  18 . It is likewise preferred, but not required, that foam layer  18  be perforated to provide breathability. Foam layer  18  provides impact protection, as from a thrown ball or collision with another player during play. It is required that foam layer  18  be comprised of a material which can elastically deform under impact to absorb and diffuse the energy of impact, such as closed-cell foam. Finally, beneath foam layer  18  is located fabric liner  19 , which protects the wearer from coming into contact with the other components of the jacket. It is preferred, but not required, that fabric liner  19  be removable to allow its being washed. It is also preferred, but not required, that fabric liner  19  be composed of a soft and permeable material for comfort and breathability.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  shows the method of wearing and retaining the jacket. The jacket is held closed by fasteners, here shown as hook fasteners  32   a ,  32   b , and  32   c , and loop fasteners  34   a ,  34   b , and  34   c . The wearer opens the jacket by pulling apart the hook and loop fasteners, putting their arms through openings  15   b  and  15   a  in such a way that their neck is in the opening  17  when the jacket is closed, allowing the hook and loop fasteners to hold it shut during use. The orientation of the hook and loop fasteners shown, with one set going in a direction orthogonal to the other set, is preferred, because it allows the jacket to be worn by players with different bodily diameters, retaining a snug fit without an arbitrary and restrictive fixed size.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  shows the rear of the jacket, including an optional team logo  42  which is situated on outer shell  12 , and a removable player number placard  40 , which could be removably held in place by hook and loop fasteners or by any other desired means. Also shown is tail section  13 , which provides additional protection for the base of the player&#39;s spine and upper pelvis by extending the protective layers described above (see  FIG. 1 ) to that area.  
         [0017]     While the description above details the preferred and best mode(s) of practicing the invention, many other configurations and variations are possible. For example: 
        1) The invention may be more or less customizable depending on the desired level of changeability. The outer shell and/or fabric liner may be permanently attached to devote the jacket to a given color/team designation.     2) The layers of fabric and foam may be supplemented by removable armor panels in areas especially susceptible to impact in the game during which play the jacket will be used. 
 
 Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiment(s) illustrated, but by the claims below and their equivalents.