Patent Publication Number: US-2013232654-A1

Title: Wearable sports guard

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to guards, in particular wearable sports guards for the neck and wrist areas, which may provide both impact and cut protection when playing sports, such as in hockey. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Sports, such as the game of ice hockey, are played in sometimes dangerous conditions, such as on an icy surface where two opposing teams try to move a rubber puck into the opponent&#39;s net/goal using hockey sticks. The players often use specialized equipment or implements, and in specialized environments. For example, they may maneuver on the ice using bladed footwear to skate on the surface. Hockey, for example, may be a rough sport where the chance of injury may be high. Consequently, injuries from skate blades and other blunt objects may be a potential threat to the safety of the players. As such, the development of protective gear for this and other sports, or other endeavors where protection may be beneficial, is an ongoing process, in order to make for safer and/or more comfortable activity for the player. 
     However, there may be a tradeoff between protectiveness and weight of the protection. Conventional neck and wrist guards may be bulky, heavy or otherwise less desirable. 
     SUMMARY 
     In some aspects there may be provided a wearable guard including a wearable piece of clothing including a cut-resistant material at least in a portion of the clothing to be worn over a protected area of the wearer; the wearable piece of clothing including at least one pocket for retaining at least one insert over the protected area of a wearer; and at least one insert being formed from an impact-resistant material. 
     In another aspect, the cut-resistant material may have cut-resistant textile fibers. 
     In another aspect, the cut-resistant textile fibers comprise one or more fiber types that may be selected from the group consisting of: para-aramid fibers, liquid crystal polymer (LCP) fibers, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, nylon fibers, polyphenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) fibers, glass fibers and steel fibers. 
     In another aspect, at least one insert may be removably retained by at least one pocket. 
     In some embodiments the pocket may include cut-resistant material. 
     In some embodiments the wearable piece of clothing may be configured to be worn about a neck, a wrist or on a torso of the wearer. 
     In other aspects the wearable piece of clothing may be a shirt configured to be worn on the torso of the wearer, the cut-resistant material may be provided in at least a neck portion of the shirt, and at least one insert may be retained at least in the neck portion of the shirt. 
     In another aspect, the wearable piece of clothing may be a shirt configured to be worn on the torso of the wearer, the cut-resistant material may be provided in at least a wrist portion of the shirt, and at least one insert may be retained in at least the wrist portion of the shirt. 
     In another aspect, the wearable piece of clothing may be a neck guard configured to be worn about the neck of the wearer, the cut-resistant material may be provided in at least a neck portion of the neck guard, and at least one insert may be retained in at least the neck portion of the neck guard. 
     In another aspect the neck guard may include at least one of a skirt and a bib which may be configured to be worn over a portion of a torso of the wearer, wherein the cut-resistant material may be further provided in at least one of the skirt and the bib, and wherein at least one insert may be further retained in the at least one of the skirt and the bib. 
     In another aspect the wearable piece of clothing may be a wrist guard to be worn about the wrist of the wearer, the cut-resistant material may be provided in at least a wrist portion of the wrist guard, and the at least one insert may be retained at least in the wrist portion of the wrist guard. 
     In another embodiment the impact-resistant material may be a soft and flexible material capable of absorbing or dispersing energy upon impact. 
     In another embodiment the insert may be shaped to conform to the neck, wrist or torso of the wearer. 
     In another embodiment the insert may include a tab designed to protrude from at least one pocket when the insert may be inserted in at least one pocket, the tab being graspable for removing the insert from at least one pocket. 
     In another embodiment the insert may have a variable thickness, the insert being thicker in at least one portion of the insert to be worn over a more fragile area of the wearer. 
     In another embodiment at least one thicker portion may have a thickness of about 8 mm, and the remainder of the insert may have a thickness of about 4 mm. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Reference will now be made to the drawings, which show by way of example embodiments of the present disclosure, and in which: 
         FIGS. 1A-1D  show an example embodiment of a wearable guard, in the form of a shirt or undershirt; 
         FIGS. 2A-2C  show another example embodiment of a wearable guard, in the form of a standalone neck guard; 
         FIG. 3  shows another example embodiment of a wearable guard, in the form of a standalone wrist guard; 
         FIGS. 4A-4C  show examples of construction of a wearable guard; 
         FIG. 5  shows another example embodiment of a wearable guard, in the form of a standalone neck guard; and 
         FIGS. 6A-6C  show examples of an insertable impact guard suitable for a wearable guard. 
     
    
    
     It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Conventional slash guards for hockey may suffer from one or more disadvantages. For example, an undershirt with rip-proof material included as a layer in the collar and the cuffs is described in Canadian Patent No. 2,219,072. This undershirt may act as a slash guard for the areas it is meant to protect. However, such a garment does not provide both impact and slash resistant components. 
     In the present disclosure, a wearable hockey guard is described, which may provide both impact and slash protection. For example, in various examples, a wearable guard as disclosed may include a slash-resistant material and may further include impact-resistant materials, such as impact-resistant inserts that may be retained in pockets in the wearable guard. Such a guard may help to reduce threats from slashing and impact from blunt objects at the same time. 
     In some examples, the present disclosure provides a slash- and impact-resistant wearable guard. This wearable guard may be in the form of a neck guard that may provide coverage surrounding the neck and/or clavicle region, and may be embodied in various wearable forms. For example, such a neck guard may be included in a shirt or an undershirt, which may be provided with a cut-resistant collar, optionally surrounded by a cut-resistant skirt and pockets allowing for the insertion of impact-resistant material. In another example, the neck guard may be provided as a standalone neck guard, such as in the form of a collar, optionally surrounded by a skirt and bib made using cut-resistant material with integrated pockets for impact-resistant inserts. In yet another example, the wearable guard may be in the form of a wrist guard that may include cut-resistant material with pockets for impact-resistant inserts. 
     In various examples, the slash resistance may be provided by the use of a cut-resistant material (e.g., a cut-resistant fabric), and the impact resistance may be provide by the use of one or more impact-resistant inserts (e.g., made of an impact-resistant material). 
     Although the wearable guard may be described as being a hockey guard, such a guard may also be suitable for use in situations where slash and impact protection may be desirable, such as in other sports or any other activity, including non-sports activities. The wearable guard may be designed for comfort, usability and/or washability, such as in example embodiments designed for use by sports players. The wearable guard may be designed such that it may be easily worn and removed by the wearer, but may be snug and/or adjustable enough that at least the areas of protection does not shift when worn (e.g., during gameplay). The materials used in the construction of the guard may be soft, flexible, sweat wicking, and/or anti-microbial so that the guard may be laundered or otherwise easily cleaned. The wearable guard may be easily stretched, twisted and/or bent, for additional comfort during wear and/or to avoid interfering with the wearer&#39;s movements. The impact-resistant insert may be designed to be removable from the wearable guard, so that the guard may be laundered without the insert. 
       FIGS. 1A-1D  show an example embodiment of a wearable guard in accordance with the present disclosure. In this example, the wearable guard may be in the form of a shirt or undershirt  100  wearable on the torso of a wearer, to cover the torso and arms of the wearer.  FIG. 1A  shows a front view of the shirt  100 ,  FIG. 1B  shows a close-up view of the front of the neck portion of the shirt  100 ,  FIG. 1C  shows a close-up view of the back of the neck portion of the shirt  100 , and  FIG. 1D  shows a close-up view of the wrist portion of the shirt  100 . 
     The shirt  100  may include a neck opening  105 , a torso opening  110 , and hand openings  115 . The neck opening  105  may be adjustable (e.g., sufficiently elastic or with adjustable fasteners) to allow for a range of head sizes to pass, for example. Similarly, the torso opening  110  and the hand openings  115  may be adjustable to fit the wearer. The shirt  100  may largely (e.g., the majority of the torso and sleeve regions) be made of any suitable material for a sport garment including, for example, cotton, spandex, or other suitable material. 
     The shirt  100  may include a neck guard  120  positioned to be worn about the wearer&#39;s neck. The neck guard  120  may provide cut protection, impact protection or both. In the example of  FIGS. 1A-1D , the neck guard  120  may provide both cut and impact protection. 
     The neck guard  120  may be configured to substantially surround the wearer&#39;s neck when worn, and may define the neck opening  105  of the shirt  100 . In the example shown, the neck guard  120  may include a fastener  125  for fastening the neck guard  120  about the wearer&#39;s neck when worn. The fastener  125  may be, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener, a snap, a button, a magnet or a zipper, among others. In the example shown, the fastener  125  may be a hook-and-loop fastener, such as Velcro. The fastener  125  may be adjustable to fit different neck sizes and to allow the neck guard  120  to fit snugly against the wearer&#39;s neck. Alternatively, the neck guard  120  may include an elastic material such that the neck guard  120  can be pulled over the wearer&#39;s head and may fit snugly against the wearer&#39;s neck with or without the use of a fastener  125 . 
     The neck guard  120  may define two or more regions, such as a collar  121  that may be worn about the wearer&#39;s neck, a skirt  122  that may extend from the collar  121  and may be worn over a portion of the wearer&#39;s clavicle, and a bib  123  that may extend from the skirt  122  and may be worn over a front portion of the wearer&#39;s torso. Other configurations for the neck guard  120  may be possible, for example the neck guard  120  may only include the collar  121 , or may only include the collar  121  and skirt  122 . The sizes and configurations of the collar  121 , skirt  122  and/or bib  123  may be adjusted to cover more or less of the wearer, and may vary depending on the amount of slash and impact protection desired, for example. 
     The neck guard  120  may be permanently attached to the shirt  100  (e.g., formed integrally with the body of the shirt  100  or stitched onto the shirt  100 ), as in  FIGS. 1A-1D , or may be removably attached to the shirt  100  (e.g., using suitable fasteners, such as a hook-and-loop fastener, a snap, a button or a zipper, among others). 
     The neck guard  120  may include a cut-resistant material, such as cut-resistant textile fibers, such as para-aramid fibers, liquid crystal polymer (LCP) fibers, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, nylon fibers, polyphenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) fibers, glass fibers and steel fibers, among others. For example, the cut-resistant material may be integrally formed with (e.g., knitted into or melted onto) all or a portion of the neck guard  120  and/or may be otherwise attached (e.g., separately formed and subsequently attached) to all or a portion of the neck guard  120 . The cut-resistant material may be a fabric made of spun cut-resistant yarn or any suitable cut-resistant textile fibers, such as those listed above. The cut-resistant material may be provided only on one surface of the neck guard  120 , for example on a surface of the neck guard  120  that is to be worn facing towards the wearer (also referred to as the inner side) or on a surface of the neck guard  120  that is to be worn facing away from the wearer (also referred to as the outer side), or may be provided on both the inner and outer sides. Where the cut-resistant material is attached to the neck guard  120 , the cut-resistant material may be permanently attached (e.g., sewn on) or removably attached (e.g., attached by a hook-and-loop fastener). 
     Impact resistance of the neck guard  120  may be provided by the presence of an impact protector  135 . The impact protector  135  may be retained by the neck guard  120  using a retainer, such as a pocket  130 . The pocket  130  in  FIGS. 1A-1D  is illustrated in the collar  121  of the neck guard  120 , however one or more similar pockets may be alternatively or additionally provided in the skirt  122  and/or the bib  123  of the neck guard. For example, the collar  121  may include a single pocket  130  configured to hold an impact protector  135  to cover a portion, a majority or substantially the entire length of the collar  121 . Similarly, a single pocket  130  may span the skirt  122  and the bib  123  and may be configured to hold an impact protector  135  to cover a portion, a majority or substantially the entire area of the skirt  122  and the bib  123 . In some examples, multiple pockets  130  may be provided to each retain a respective impact protector  135 , to cover different portions of the neck guard  120 . The impact protector(s)  135  may be sized and shaped to match the size and shape of the respective pocket(s)  130  in which the impact protector(s)  135  are retained. 
     The pocket(s)  130  may be formed by a double layer of material in the neck guard  120 , such as by stitching together two or more layers of material, or by folding over the material of the neck guard  120 . The pocket(s)  130  may also be formed by attaching (e.g., sewing, knitting or gluing) a piece of material to the inner or outer side of the neck guard  120 , for example. 
     The impact protector(s)  135  may include an impact-protecting material. The impact protector(s)  135  may be removably or permanently retained in the pocket(s)  130 . For example, the impact protector(s)  135  may be insertable and removable from the pocket(s)  130  or the impact protector(s)  135  may be sewn into or otherwise permanently retained by the pocket(s)  130 . 
     Where the impact protector(s)  135  is removable from the pocket(s)  130 , the pocket(s)  130  may include a fastener (not shown) (e.g., a hook-and-loop fastener, a zipper, a snap, a button or a magnet, among others) to close the pocket(s)  130  in order to retain the impact protector(s)  135  in the pocket  130 . Alternatively, the pocket(s)  130  and the retained impact protector(s)  135  may be sufficiently held against the wearer&#39;s body (e.g., by elasticity of the neck guard  120 ) and/or the retained impact protector(s)  135  may be shaped and/or sized relative to the opening of the pocket(s)  130  (e.g., the impact protector(s)  135  may be larger than the opening of the respective pocket(s)  130 ) such that a fastener is not required to keep the impact protector(s)  135  retained in the pocket(s)  130 . The pocket(s)  130  may include additional elastic features, such as Lycra binding, to help fit the impact protector(s)  135  snugly about the wearer&#39;s body when worn. 
     Although  FIGS. 1A-1D  show the neck guard  120  as including a substantially tubular collar  121 , a surrounding skirt  122  and a front bib  123 , the neck guard  120  may have other regular or irregular configurations. For example, the neck guard  120  may be configured to cover more of the back of the wearer&#39;s neck than the front, or vice versa, to offer greater protection where the wearer&#39;s neck may be more susceptible to injury, for example. The neck guard  120  may also include stiffeners (not shown) (e.g., as additional inserts and/or integrated into the neck guard  120 ) to help keep the neck guard  120  snug against the wearer&#39;s neck and prevent the neck guard  120  from slipping or folding over during wear. The neck guard  120  may be thicker (e.g., using thicker impact protector(s)  135 ) in one or more portions (e.g., corresponding to the front or back of the wearer&#39;s neck) than others, to offer greater protection where the wearer&#39;s neck may be more susceptible to injury, for example. 
     The shirt  100  may further include a wrist guard  140  positioned to substantially surround each of the wearer&#39;s wrists and/or a portion of the wearer&#39;s forearms. The wrist guard  140  may provide cut protection, impact protection or both. In the example of  FIGS. 1A-1D , the wrist guard  140  may provide both cut and impact protection. 
     The wrist guard  140  may be configured to substantially surround each of the wearer&#39;s wrists and/or a portion of the wearer&#39;s forearms when worn, and may define the hand openings  115  of the shirt  100 . The wrist guard  140  may include a fastener  141  for fastening the wrist guard  140  about the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm when worn. The fastener  141  may be, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener, a snap, a button, a magnet or a zipper, among others. The fastener  141  may be adjustable to fit different hand and wrist sizes and to allow the wrist guard  140  to fit snugly against the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm. The wrist guard  140  may be elastic such that the wrist guard  140  can be pulled over the wearer&#39;s hand and fit snugly against the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm with or without the use of a fastener  141 . 
     The wrist guard  140  may be permanently attached to the shirt  100  (e.g., formed integrally with the body of the shirt  100  or stitched onto the shirt  100 ), as in  FIGS. 1A-1D , or may be removably attached to the shirt  100  (e.g., using suitable fasteners, such as a hook-and-loop fastener, a snap, a button or a zipper, among others). 
     The wrist guard  140  may include a cut-resistant material, such as any suitable cut-resistant textile fibers, such as para-aramid fibers, LCP fibers, UHMWPE fibers, nylon fibers, PBO fibers, glass fibers and steel fibers, among others. For example, the cut-resistant material may be integrally formed with (e.g., knitted into or melted onto) all or a portion of the wrist guard  140  and/or may be attached (e.g., separately formed and subsequently attached) to all or a portion of the wrist guard  140 . The cut-resistant material may be a fabric made of spun cut-resistant yarn or any suitable cut-resistant textile fibers, such as those listed above. The cut-resistant material may be provided only on one surface of the wrist guard  140 , for example on a surface of the wrist guard  140  that is to be worn facing towards the wearer (also referred to as the inner side) or on a surface of the wrist guard  140  that is to be worn facing away from the wearer (also referred to as the outer side), or may be provided on both the inner and outer sides. Where the cut-resistant material is attached to the wrist guard  140 , the cut-resistant material may be permanently attached (e.g., sewn on) or removably attached (e.g., attached by a hook-and-loop fastener). 
     Impact resistance of the wrist guard  140  may be provided by the presence of an impact protector  150 . The impact protector  150  may be retained by the wrist guard  140  using a retainer, such as a pocket  145 . The pocket  145  in  FIGS. 1A-1D  is shown to extend over the majority or substantially all of the wrist guard  140 . A single impact protector  150  may be retained in the pocket  145  to cover the majority or substantially all of the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or a portion of the forearm. Alternatively, multiple pockets  145  may be provided to each retain a respective impact protector  150 , to cover multiple portions of the wrist guard  140 . The impact protector(s)  150  may be sized and shaped to match the size and shape of the respective pocket(s)  145  in which the impact protector(s)  150  are retained. 
     The pocket(s)  145  may be formed by a double layer of material in the wrist guard  140 , such as by stitching together two or more layers of material, or by folding over the material of the wrist guard  140 . The pocket(s)  145  may also be formed by attaching (e.g., sewing, knitting or gluing) a piece of material to the inner or outer side of the wrist guard  140 , for example. 
     The impact protector(s)  150  may include an impact-protecting material, which may be any material that is suitable soft and/or flexible, for example with molecules that lock together to absorb and/or disperse energy upon impact. This material may be in the form of a foam, non-foam or rubber, among others. The impact protector(s)  150  of the wrist guard  140  may be made of a similar material as the impact protector(s)  135  of the neck guard  120 . The impact protector(s)  150  may be removably or permanently retained in the pocket(s)  145  to substantially surround the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or portion of forearm. For example, the impact protector(s)  150  may be insertable and removable from the pocket(s)  145  or the impact protector(s)  150  may be sewn into or otherwise permanently retained by the pocket(s)  145 . 
     Where the impact protector(s)  150  is removable from the pocket(s)  145 , the pocket(s)  145  may include a fastener (not shown) (e.g., a hook-and-loop fastener, a zipper, a snap, a button or a magnet, among others) to close the pocket(s)  145  in order to retain the impact protector(s)  150  in the pocket(s)  145 . Alternatively, the pocket(s)  145  and the retained impact protector(s)  150  may be sufficiently held against the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm (e.g., by elasticity of the wrist guard  140 ) and/or the retained impact protector(s)  150  may be shaped and/or sized relative to the opening of the pocket(s)  145  (e.g., the impact protector(s)  150  may be larger than the opening of the respective pocket(s)  145 ) such that a fastener is not required to retain the impact protector(s)  150  in the pocket(s)  145 . The pocket(s)  145  may include additional elastic features, such as Lycra binding, to help fit the impact protector(s)  150  snugly about the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm when worn. 
     Although  FIGS. 1A-1D  show a wrist guard  140  on each of the two sleeves of the shirt  100 , in other examples the shirt  100  may include only one wrist guard  140  on one sleeve (e.g., where only one wrist and/or forearm of the wearer is susceptible to injury). 
     Although  FIGS. 1A-1  D show the wrist guard  140  as having a substantially tubular configuration, the wrist guard  140  may have other regular or irregular configurations. For example, the wrist guard  140  may be configured to cover more of the back of the wearer&#39;s inner wrist than the outer wrist, or vice versa, to offer greater protection where the wearer&#39;s wrist may be more susceptible to injury, for example. The wrist guard  140  may also include stiffeners (not shown) (e.g., as additional inserts and/or integrally formed in the wrist guard  140 ) to help keep the wrist guard  140  snug against the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm and prevent the wrist guard  140  from slipping or folding over during wear. The wrist guard  140  may be thicker (e.g., using thicker impact protector(s)  150 ) in one or more portions (e.g., corresponding to the inner or outer side of the wearer&#39;s wrist/forearm) than others, to offer greater protection where the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm may be more susceptible to injury, for example. 
       FIGS. 2A-2C  show another example embodiment of the disclosed wearable guard. In this example, the wearable guard may be in the form of a standalone neck guard  200 .  FIG. 2A  shows an inner side of the neck guard  200 , in an unfastened configuration,  FIG. 2B  shows a front view of the neck guard  200 , in a fastened configuration, and  FIG. 2C  shows a back view of the neck guard  200 , in a fastened configuration. The neck guard  200  may provide cut protection, impact protection or both. In the example of  FIGS. 2A-2C , the neck guard  200  may provide both cut and impact protection. 
     The neck guard  200  may include a neck opening  205 . The neck opening  205  may be adjustable (e.g., sufficiently elastic or with adjustable fasteners) to allow for a range of head sizes to pass, for example. 
     The neck guard  200  may be similar to the neck guard  120  described above. The neck guard  200  may be configured to substantially surround the wearer&#39;s neck when worn. In the example shown, the neck guard  200  may include a fastener  225  for fastening the neck guard  200  about the wearer&#39;s neck when worn. The fastener  225  may be, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener, a snap, a button, a magnet or a zipper, among others. In the example shown, the fastener  225  may be a hook-and-loop fastener, such as Velcro. The fastener  225  may be adjustable to fit different neck sizes and to allow the neck guard  200  to fit snugly against the wearer&#39;s neck. In some examples, the neck guard  200  may include an elastic material such that the neck guard  200  can be pulled over the wearer&#39;s head and may fit snugly against the wearer&#39;s neck with or without the use of a fastener  225 . 
     The neck guard  200  may define two or more regions, such as a collar  221  that may be worn about the wearer&#39;s neck, a skirt  222  that may extend from the collar  221  and may be worn over a portion of the wearer&#39;s clavicle, and a bib  223  that may extend from the skirt  222  and may be worn over a front portion of the wearer&#39;s torso. Other configurations for the neck guard  200  may be possible, for example the neck guard  200  may only include the collar  221 , or may only include the collar  221  and skirt  222 . The sizes and configurations of the collar  221 , skirt  222  and/or bib  223  may be adjusted to cover more or less of the wearer, and may vary depending on the amount of cut and impact protection desired, for example. 
     The neck guard  200  may include a cut-resistant material, such as cut-resistant textile fibers, such as para-aramid fibers, LCP fibers, UHMWPE fibers, nylon fibers, PBO fibers, glass fibers and steel fibers, among others. For example, the cut-resistant material may be integrally formed with (e.g., knitted into or melted onto) all or a portion of the neck guard  200  and/or may be attached (e.g., separately formed and subsequently attached) to all or a portion of the neck guard  200 . The cut-resistant material may be a fabric made of spun cut-resistant yarn or any suitable cut-resistant textile fibers, such as those listed above. The cut-resistant material may be provided only on one surface of the neck guard  200 , for example on a surface of the neck guard  200  that is to be worn facing towards the wearer (also referred to as the inner side) or on a surface of the neck guard  200  that is to be worn facing away from the wearer (also referred to as the outer side), or may be provided on both the inner and outer sides. Where the cut-resistant material is attached to the neck guard  200 , the cut-resistant material may be permanently attached (e.g., sewn on) or removably attached (e.g., attached by a hook-and-loop fastener). 
     Impact resistance of the neck guard  200  may be provided by the presence of an impact protector  235 . The impact protector  235  may be retained by the neck guard  200  using a retainer, such as one or more pockets  230 .  FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate a pocket  230  provided in each of the collar  221 , the skirt  222  and the bib  223 . In other examples, one or more pockets  230  may span one or more of the collar  221 , the skirt  222  and the bib  223 . In some examples, the collar  221  may include a single pocket  230  configured to hold an impact protector  235  to cover a portion, a majority or substantially the entire length of the collar  221 . Similarly, the skirt  222  may include a single pocket  230  configured to hold an impact protector  235  to cover a portion, a majority or substantially the entire area of the skirt  222 ; and the bib  223  may include a single pocket  230  configured to hold an impact protector  235  to cover a portion, a majority or substantially the entire area of the bib  223 . Multiple pockets  230  may be provided to each retain a respective impact protector  235 , to cover different portions of the neck guard  200 . Alternatively, the neck guard  200  may include a single pocket  230  for retaining an impact protector  235  over a portion, a majority or substantially all of the neck guard  200 . The impact protector(s)  235  may be sized and shaped to match the size and shape of the respective pocket(s)  230  in which the impact protector(s)  235  are retained. 
     The pocket(s)  230  may be formed by a double layer of material in the neck guard  200 , such as by stitching together two or more layers of material, or by folding over the material of the neck guard  200 . The pocket(s)  230  may also be formed by attaching (e.g., sewing, knitting or gluing) a piece of material to the inner or outer side of the neck guard  200 , for example. 
     The impact protector(s)  235  may include an impact-protecting material, which may be any material that is suitable soft and/or flexible, for example with molecules that lock together to absorb and/or disperse energy upon impact. This material may be in the form of a foam, non-foam or rubber, among others. The impact protector(s)  235  may be made of a material similar to that of the impact protector(s)  135 ,  150  of the shirt  100  described above The impact protector(s)  235  may be removably or permanently retained in the pocket(s)  230 . For example, the impact protector(s)  235  may be insertable and removable from the pocket(s)  230  or the impact protector(s)  235  may be sewn into or otherwise permanently retained by the pocket(s)  230 . 
     Where the impact protector(s)  235  is removable from the pocket(s)  230 , the pocket(s)  230  may include a fastener (not shown) (e.g., a hook-and-loop fastener, a zipper, a snap, a button or a magnet, among others) to close the pocket(s)  230  in order to retain the impact protector(s)  235  in the pocket  230 . Alternatively, the pocket(s)  230  and the retained impact protector(s)  235  may be sufficiently held against the wearer&#39;s body (e.g., by elasticity of the neck guard  200 ) and/or the retained impact protector(s)  235  may be shaped and/or sized relative to the opening of the pocket(s)  230  (e.g., the impact protector(s)  235  may be larger than the opening of the respective pocket(s)  230 ) such that a fastener is not required to retain the impact protector(s)  235  in the pocket(s)  230 . The pocket(s)  230  may include additional elastic features, such as Lycra binding, to help fit the impact protector(s)  235  snugly about the wearer&#39;s body when worn. 
     Although  FIGS. 2A-2C  show the neck guard  200  as including a substantially tubular collar  221 , a surrounding skirt  222  and a front bib  223 , the neck guard  200  may have other regular or irregular configurations. For example, the neck guard  200  may be configured to cover more of the back of the wearer&#39;s neck than the front, or vice versa, to offer greater protection where the wearer&#39;s neck may be more susceptible to injury, for example. Although the skirt  222  and bib  223  have been described as being configured to cover the clavicle and front torso portion of the wearer when worn, other configurations for the skirt  222  and bib  223  is possible. For example, the skirt  222  and bib  223  may be configured to cover a back portion or both front and back portions of the wearer&#39;s torso when worn. The skirt  222  and bib  223  may be further configured to cover one or more shoulder portions of the wearer when worn. 
     The neck guard  200  may also include stiffeners (not shown) (e.g., as additional inserts and/or integrated into the material of the neck guard  200 ) to help keep the neck guard  200  snug against the wearer&#39;s body and prevent the neck guard  220  from slipping or folding over during wear. The neck guard  200  may be thicker (e.g., using thicker impact protector(s)  235 ) in one or more portions (e.g., corresponding to the front or back of the wearer&#39;s neck) than others, to offer greater protection where the wearer&#39;s neck may be more susceptible to injury, for example. 
       FIG. 5  shows another example embodiment of the disclosed wearable guard, in the form of a standalone neck guard  200   b . The neck guard  200   b  may include features similar to those of the neck guard  200  described above. 
     The neck guard  200   b  may include an inner layer of material and an outer layer of material at least in the collar  221   b . The inner and outer layers may be made of different materials and/or configured for different uses. For example, the outer layer of the neck guard  200   b  may be made of a cut-resistant material, as described above. The inner layer of the neck guard  200   b  may be made of a material designed for comfort, such as a Coolmax material and/or a soft and/or anti-microbial knit material, for example. The skirt  222   b  and/or bib  223   b  may be a single layer, and may be made of a cut-resistant material, as described above. 
     There may be two or more openings defined for a pocket  230   b  in the collar  221   b . For example, there may be an opening (e.g., a buttonhole shaped opening) defined in the inner layer of the collar  221   b , and an additional opening may be defined in the outer layer (e.g., along the neckline of the collar  221   b , in the front of the neck guard  200   b ) for inserting the impact protector  235   b . In the example shown, the impact protector  235   b  may be designed to better fit younger hockey players. 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 3 , showing another example embodiment of the disclosed wearable guard. In this example, the wearable guard may be in the form of a standalone wrist guard  300  configured to be worn about a wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm. The wrist guard  300  may be cut resistant, slash resistant, or both. In the example of  FIG. 3 , the wrist guard  300  may be both cut and slash resistant. 
     The wrist guard  300  may be similar to the wrist guard  140  described above. The wrist guard  300  may be configured to substantially surround each of the wearer&#39;s wrists and/or a portion of the wearer&#39;s forearms when worn. The wrist guard  300  may include a fastener  341  for fastening the wrist guard  300  about the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm when worn. The fastener  341  may be, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener, a snap, a button, a magnet or a zipper, among others. The fastener  341  may be adjustable to fit different hand and wrist sizes and to allow the wrist guard  300  to fit snugly against the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm. The wrist guard  300  may be elastic such that the wrist guard  300  can be pulled over the wearer&#39;s hand and fit snugly against the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm with or without the use of a fastener  341 . 
     The wrist guard  300  may include a cut-resistant material, such as cut-resistant textile fibers, such as para-aramid fibers, LCP fibers, UHMWPE fibers, nylon fibers, PBO fibers, glass fibers and steel fibers, among others. For example, the cut-resistant material may be integrally formed with (e.g., knitted into) all or a portion of the wrist guard  300  and/or may be attached to all or a portion of the wrist guard  300 . The cut-resistant material may be a fabric made of spun cut-resistant yarn or any suitable cut-resistant textile fibers, such as those listed above. The cut-resistant material may be provided only on one surface of the wrist guard  300 , for example on a surface of the wrist guard  300  that is to be worn facing towards the wearer (also referred to as the inner side) or on a surface of the wrist guard  300  that is to be worn facing away from the wearer (also referred to as the outer side), or may be provided on both the inner and outer sides. Where the cut-resistant material is attached to the wrist guard  300 , the cut-resistant material may be permanently attached (e.g., sewn on) or removably attached (e.g., attached by a hook-and-loop fastener). 
     Impact resistance of the wrist guard  300  may be provided by the presence of an impact protector  350 . The impact protector  350  may be retained by the wrist guard  300  using a retainer, such as a pocket  345 . The pocket  345  in  FIG. 3  is shown to extend over the majority or substantially all of the wrist guard  300 . A single impact protector  350  may be retained in the pocket  345  to cover the majority or substantially all of the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or a portion of the forearm. Alternatively, multiple pockets  345  may be provided to each retain a respective impact protector  350 , to cover different portions of the wrist guard  300 . The impact protector(s)  350  may be sized and shaped to match the size and shape of the respective pocket(s)  345  in which the impact protector(s)  350  are retained. 
     The pocket(s)  345  may be formed by a double layer of material in the wrist guard  300 , such as by stitching together two or more layers of material, or by folding over the material of the wrist guard  300 . The pocket(s)  345  may also be formed by attaching (e.g., sewing, knitting or gluing) a piece of material to the inner or outer side of the wrist guard  300 , for example. 
     The impact protector(s)  350  may include an impact-protecting material, which may be any material that is suitable soft and/or flexible, for example with molecules that lock together to absorb and/or disperse energy upon impact. This material may be in the form of a foam, non-foam or rubber, among others. The impact protector(s)  350  of the wrist guard  300  may be made of a similar material as the impact protector(s)  135 ,  150  and  235  described above. The impact protector(s)  350  may be removably or permanently retained in the pocket(s)  345  to substantially surround the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or portion of forearm. For example, the impact protector(s)  350  may be insertable and removable from the pocket(s)  345  or the impact protector(s)  350  may be sewn into or otherwise permanently retained by the pocket(s)  345 . 
     Where the impact protector(s)  350  is removable from the pocket(s)  345 , the pocket(s)  345  may include a fastener (not shown) (e.g., a hook-and-loop fastener, a zipper, a snap, a button or a magnet, among others) to close the pocket(s)  345  in order to retain the impact protector(s)  350  in the pocket(s)  345 . Alternatively, the pocket(s)  345  and the retained impact protector(s)  350  may be sufficiently held against the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm (e.g., by elasticity of the wrist guard  300 ) and/or the retained impact protector(s)  350  may be shaped and/or sized relative to the opening of the pocket(s)  345  (e.g., the impact protector(s)  350  may be larger than the opening of the respective pocket(s)  345 ) such that a fastener is not required to retain the impact protector(s)  350  in the pocket(s)  345 . The pocket(s)  345  may include additional elastic features, such as Lycra binding, to help fit the impact protector(s)  350  snugly about the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm when worn. 
     Although  FIG. 3  shows the wrist guard  300  as having a substantially tubular configuration, the wrist guard  300  may have other regular or irregular configurations. For example, the wrist guard  300  may be configured to cover more of the back of the wearer&#39;s inner wrist than the outer wrist, or vice versa, to offer greater protection where the wearer&#39;s wrist may be more susceptible to injury, for example. The wrist guard  300  may also include stiffeners (not shown) (e.g., as additional inserts and/or integrated into the material of the wrist guard  300 ) to help keep the wrist guard  300  snug against the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm and prevent the wrist guard  300  from slipping or folding over during wear. The wrist guard  300  may be thicker (e.g., using thicker impact protector(s)  250 ) in one or more portions (e.g., corresponding to the inner or outer side of the wearer&#39;s wrist/forearm) than others, to offer greater protection where the wearer&#39;s wrist and/or forearm may be more susceptible to injury, for example. 
       FIGS. 4A-4C  show examples of the construction of an example neck guard  200 . Although not shown, other embodiments of the wearable guard, such as the shirt  100 , the neck guard  200   b  and the wrist guard  300 , may have similar construction. 
     In  FIG. 4A , the neck guard  200  may be constructed from a single piece of knit material with integrated pocket(s)  230 , and may be made from a single-layered material.  FIG. 4A  shows a front view (upper figure) and a back view (lower figure) of the neck guard  200 , in an unfastened configuration. The cut-resistant material may be integrally formed with (e.g., knitted into or melted onto) the material. The pocket(s)  230  may be attached to the neck guard  200  (e.g., sewn or separately knitted) in the collar  221 , skirt  222  and/or bib  223  of the neck guard  200 , depending on the configuration. The fastener  225  may be attached (e.g., separately knitted or sewn), and any other embellishments (e.g., a logo, a tag or other components) may also be attached (e.g., separately knitted, transferred, sewn and/or embroidered). 
     In  FIG. 4B , the neck guard  200  may be constructed as a knit piece with multiple types of yarn, and may be multi-layered.  FIG. 4B  shows the neck guard  200  in a pre-assembled configuration, before the knit piece is sewn together. In this example, the neck guard  200  may include an outer layer  405  that forms the surface facing away from the wearer, and an inner layer  410  that forms the surface facing towards the wearer. The outer layer  405  may be made (e.g., knitted) using a first yarn material and the inner layer  410  may be made (e.g., knitted) using a different second yarn material. For example, the outer layer  405  may be knit with a cut-resistant yarn and may provide cut protection, while the inner layer  410  may be knit with a softer, more comfortable and/or sweat-wicking yarn. For example, the yarn may include a cut-resistant fibers, such as para-aramid, LCP, UHMWPE, nylon, PBO, glass fibers and steel fibers, among others. The outer and inner layers  405 ,  410  may be knit as a single piece of material, for example, that may be subsequently folded and sewn together to form the multi-layers of the neck guard  200 . The pocket(s)  230  may be integrally formed (e.g., by knitting) with the outer or inner layer  405 ,  410 , or may be separately attached (e.g., sewn on). 
     In  FIG. 4C , the neck guard  200  may be made by having all the components cut as separate pieces and attached (e.g., sewn) together to form a multi-layered neck guard  200 .  FIG. 4C  shows the neck guard  200  in a pre-assembled configuration, before the separate pieces are sewn together. In this example, the cut resistant material  415  may be provided as a separate piece that may be attached as the outer layer  405 , inner layer  410  or sandwiched between the outer and inner layers  405 ,  410  of the neck guard  200 . The pocket(s)  230  may be integrally formed (e.g., by knitting) with the outer or inner layer  405 ,  410 , or may be separately attached (e.g., sewn on). 
     The shirt  100 , the neckguard  200   b  and the wrist guard  300  may be similarly formed in single-layered or multi-layered configurations. The shirt  100  may be constructed by forming the neck guard  120 , such as described above, and attaching (e.g., sewing or knitting) the neck guard  120  onto the torso of the shirt  100 . Where the neck guard  120  is removable from the shirt  100  (e.g., to allow for easy laundering), appropriate complementary fastening component (e.g., complementary components of a hook-and-loop fastener, buttons, snaps, magnets or a zipper) may be attached to the neck guard  120  and shirt torso. 
     In some examples, the neck guard  120 ,  200 ,  200   b  the wrist guard  140 ,  300 , and/or the shirt  100  may be made in part or entirely of a cut-resistant material. This material may be provided as an inner layer or outer layer of the wearable guard, and may also be sandwiched between other layers. In some examples, the wearable guard may be easily stretchable, for example because the cut-resistant material may be knitted. In comparison with a woven fabric, a knitted material may be formed by linked loops that may allow for greater strechability, without the addition of elastic fibers. 
     In some examples, the cut-resistant material may be knitted using a yarn that includes a blend of components combining the advantages of various fibers. For example, the cut-resistant material may include a mixture of cut-resistance, anti-microbial, sweat-wicking and/or stretchable fibers mixed into a single yarn blend. Such a yarn blend may provide cut-resistance, anti-microbial, sweat-wicking and/or stretchable properties, and may be used to make portions or the entirety of the wearable guard. 
       FIGS. 6A-6C  show other example impact protectors  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  that may be suitable for use in a wearable guard, such as the neck guard  120 ,  200 ,  200   b . In these examples, the impact protectors  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  may be shaped to conform to the area of the wearer to be protected, in this case to the neck of the wearer. The impact protectors  600   a ,  600   c  may be contoured, for example along a top edge  605  (e.g., having a scoop shape) and side edges  610 , to accommodate the shape of the neck, to allow for better fit, comfort and/or functionality when worn. Although certain contours and shapes are shown, other configurations may be possible (e.g., where the side regions of the impact protector  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  are further raised) as suitable. The impact protectors  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  may also include one or more perforations  615 , which may help to decrease the weight of the impact protectors  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  and/or increase breathability of the  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c , while maintaining impact protection. 
     The impact protectors  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  may include a protrusion that may cover the wearer&#39;s clavicle area when worn, which may provide protection over the wearer&#39;s clavicle area. The protrusion may extend from the pocket(s)  230 ,  230   b  of the neck guard  120 ,  200 ,  200   b  when the impact protector  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  is inserted, and may help to keep the impact protector  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  in place within the pocket(s)  230 ,  230   b  and/or may serve as a tab that can be grasped to assist in removing the impact protector  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  from the pocket(s)  230 ,  230   b  (e.g., in order to replace the impact protector  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  or to remove the impact protector  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  prior to washing the neck guard  120 ,  200 ,  200   b ). 
     The thickness of the impact protector  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  may be substantially constant throughout or may be variable. For example, different portions of the impact protector  600   a ,  600   b ,  600   c  may have different thicknesses, in order to provide added protection where appropriate without being unnecessarily bulky where added protection is not needed. In some examples, the impact protector  600   b ,  600   c  may include a central portion  620  (which may be worn over the wearer&#39;s trachea region) and/or side portions  625  (which may be worn over the side of the wearer&#39;s neck) that are thicker (e.g., about 6-10 mm, such as about 8 mm thick) compared to the remainder of the impact protector  600   b ,  600   c  (which may be about 2-6 mm, such as about 4 mm thick). 
     In some examples, the wearable guard may provide cut protection, impact protection, or both. For example, the neck guard  120 ,  200 ,  200   b  may not be made of a cut-resistant material, but may retain the impact protector  135 ,  235 ,  235   b  such that the neck guard  120 ,  200 ,  200   b  provides impact protection. Similarly, the wrist guard  140 ,  300  may provide cut protection, impact protection, or both. For example, the wrist guard  140 ,  300  may not be made of a cut-resistant material, but may retain the impact protector  150 ,  350 , such that the wrist guard  140 ,  300  provides impact protection. 
     In some examples, where the wearable guard is provided as a standalone neck guard  200 ,  200   b  or a standalone wrist guard  300 , the wearable guard may be configured to be worn over or under conventional sports wear (e.g., over or under a conventional hockey shirt) and/or may be configured to be attachable (e.g., using hook-and-loop fasteners) to conventional sports wear. 
     The neck guard  120 ,  200 ,  200   b  and/or the wrist guard  140 ,  300  may include multiple retainers (e.g., pockets  130 ,  145 ,  230 ,  230   b ,  345 ) and multiple impact protectors  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350 . In some examples, the number of pockets  130 ,  145 ,  230 ,  230   b ,  345  may be greater than the number of impact protectors  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350 . This may allow for different placement of the impact protector(s)  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  according to the wearer&#39;s choosing. Multiple pockets  130 ,  145 ,  230 ,  230   b ,  345  may also allow for placement of different types of impact protector(s)  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  at different positions and/or replacement of a impact protector  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  without replacing all impact protectors  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  (e.g., where an impact protector  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  at a certain location is more susceptible to damage). 
     In some examples, the impact protector(s)  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  may include two or more layers of material, including layers of different materials. This may be useful to impart the impact protector(s)  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  with multiple properties (e.g., different ranges of impact and/or cut protection, certain amount of stiffness, etc.) that may be difficult to attain using a single material. In some examples, the impact protector(s)  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  may include a mixed or composite material. 
     The pocket(s)  130 ,  145 ,  230 ,  230   b ,  345  may also be used to retain materials other than impact protector(s)  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350 . For example, other materials that may be retained by the pocket(s)  130 ,  145 ,  230 ,  230   b ,  345  include, for example, cooling or heating materials, sweat-absorbing materials, and odor-absorbing materials, among others. Such other materials may be included as a fiber and/or as a finishing in the yarn used, for example. 
     Where the impact protector(s)  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  are removably retained in the pocket(s)  130 ,  145 ,  230 ,  230   b ,  345 , the impact protector(s)  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  may be removed during washing of the shirt  100 , neck guard  200 ,  200   b  or wrist guard  300 , to replace an old or damaged impact protector(s)  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  and/or to insert a different material into the pocket(s)  130 ,  145 ,  230 ,  230   b ,  345 , for example. 
     The impact protector(s)  135 ,  150 ,  235 ,  235   b ,  350  may be made of an impact-resistant material that may withstand impact forces expected to be experienced by a player in a contact sport (e.g., hockey), for example sufficient to satisfy safety standards, such as the CAN/BNQ 9415-370/2007 standard. Such a material may be developed specifically for this purpose, or may be developed for other uses (and may be modified, such as in shape and/or density, for use according to the present disclosure). For example, such a material may be designed to be relatively pliable, to be comfortable when worn, relatively breathable, lightweight and/or washable. 
     Different materials, whether woven, non-woven, knitted or otherwise formed, may be used throughout the wearable guard as appropriate. Other forms of the wearable guard (e.g., sleeve or vest) may be suitable in addition to those described. 
     The embodiments of the present disclosure described above are intended to be examples only. Alterations, modifications and variations to the disclosure may be made without departing from the intended scope of the present disclosure. In particular, selected features from one or more of the above-described embodiments may be combined to create alternative embodiments not explicitly described. All values and sub-ranges within disclosed ranges are also disclosed. The subject matter described herein intends to cover and embrace all suitable changes in technology. All references mentioned are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.