Patent Publication Number: US-2021169157-A1

Title: Protective garments for hockey and other activities

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/944,223, filed on Dec. 5, 2019, entitled “HOCKEY UNDERGARMENT,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention is related to protective clothing, and more specifically to garments with integrated protective fabric. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Various sporting activities, hobbies, and occupations involve some amount risk of injury, and often specialized safety equipment is used in order to mitigate risks of injury. For example, participants in sporting activities may wear helmets, pads, masks, gloves, and the like, to protect portions of their bodies from injuries. However, even with such protective equipment, injuries may still occur. For example, ice hockey players may wear helmets and pads on certain portions of their bodies, but other portions of their bodies may be vulnerable. Similarly, players of numerous other sports wear protective equipment in certain areas that may leave other areas vulnerable. In just one example, soccer players may wear shin pads but other portions of their legs or arms may be vulnerable to injuries from collisions where another player&#39;s cleats may cause lacerations. 
     Likewise, numerous hobbies and occupations involve potentially hazardous equipment that may cause injuries to a person. For example, many construction-related occupations use equipment that can cause lacerations of a user or nearby worker. Similarly, many hobbies may involve equipment that can pierce or cut a person&#39;s clothing or skin. Wearing bulky protective equipment to reduce the likelihood of such injuries is often-times unlikely due to the time to put on such equipment, restriction of movement caused by such equipment, and relatively remote likelihood of injury. 
     Equipment and garments to help further reduce the risk of injuries and improve safety is a constant desire. 
     SUMMARY 
     Various aspects of the disclosure provide garments that help to further enhance safety of wearers of the garments, particularly in areas that are vulnerable to injury but difficult to protect due to flexing or other movement of underlying body parts. For example, wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles may be vulnerable to injury from lacerations, and yet not amenable to protection due to pads or supports that may restrict motion to an extent that a person may elect not to protect that particular area in cases where the risk of injury is relatively remote. In some aspects of the present disclosure, garments are provided that include integrated protective panels that are tear and cut resistant. The integrated panels with cut-resistant materials may be located adjacent to relatively vulnerable areas of a user, such as around the neck, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, or any combinations thereof. Garments may include other materials outside of the integrated panels that provide one or more different types of fabric, such as performance fabric that provides breathability, insulation, compression, or any combinations thereof. In some cases, the garments may be relatively tight fitting to provide that the integrated panels with cut-resistant fabric remain located adjacent to the desired vulnerable areas of the user. 
     In one example, a hockey top is provided that includes integrated cut-resistant panels around the end cuffs of each sleeve. Such integrated cut-resistant panels may help prevent cutting injuries from a hockey skate blade in the event of a collision or accident that results a player&#39;s arm being impacted by another player&#39;s skate blade. In some cases, the location of the integrated cut-resistant panels may be selected to provide additional protection that complements protection already provided by other protective equipment worn by such players, such as elbow pads, arm pads, or other padding or armor that may be worn. Additionally, in some cases, described hockey tops may provide a pad securement mechanism that may help to secure certain pads in place relative to the garment. In other examples, hockey pants are provided that include one or more cut-resistant panels. In one example, cut-resistant panels are provided in a lower back portion to provide protection to a player&#39;s Achilles tendon area above the ankle. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of examples according to the disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described hereinafter. The conception and specific examples disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the appended claims. Characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein, both their organization and method of operation, together with associated advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. Each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description, and not as a definition of the limits of the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view of a sports garment and lower-arm portion thereof in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a view of the lower-arm portion of the sports garment with a pad securement mechanism in secured and unsecured positions in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of sports pants in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of sports pants in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view of sports pants in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure provides garment construction and techniques that use integrated tear or cut-resistant panels. In various examples, the integrated tear or cut-resistant panels may be stitched into areas of other adjacent fabrics to provide a garment that has different desired properties in different areas (e.g., cut-resistance in certain areas, breathability in other areas, compression in other areas, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, garments may include one or more pad securement mechanisms to secure protective equipment in desired locations relative to the garment. In examples described herein, the garments may be hockey undergarments, although it will be understood that the techniques described herein may be applied to other garments as well. 
     In traditional undergarment hockey shirts and hockey pants, technical fabrics may be used to provide garments that are breathable and form fitting, to allow for freedom of motion and comfort of the wearer. Such garments, however, generally do not include protective components to protect the wearer. Instead, various other personal protective equipment (e.g., pads) is worn over the undergarments and below a jersey or outer pants. In some cases 
     As indicated above, various aspects of the disclosure provide garments that help to further enhance safety of wearers of the garments, particularly in areas that are vulnerable to injury but difficult to protect due to flexing or other movement of underlying body parts, while also allowing relatively large freedom of motion. 
     In one example, a hockey top is provided that includes integrated cut-resistant panels around the end cuffs of each sleeve. Such integrated cut-resistant panels may help prevent cutting injuries from a hockey skate blade in the event of a collision or accident that results a player&#39;s arm being impacted by another player&#39;s skate blade. In some cases, the location of the integrated cut-resistant panels may be selected to provide additional protection that complements protection already provided by other protective equipment worn by such players, such as elbow pads, arm pads, or other padding or armor that may be worn. Additionally, in some cases, described hockey tops may provide a pad securement mechanism that may help to secure certain pads in place relative to the garment. In other examples, hockey pants are provided that include one or more cut-resistant panels. In one example, cut-resistant panels are provided in a lower back portion to provide protection to a player&#39;s Achilles tendon area above the ankle. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate an example of a hockey top  100  that includes a torso portion with a neck hole and sleeves  105 . The torso and sleeves  105  in this example may include one or multiple fabric panels that include at least a first fabric  110  (e.g., a synthetic fabric such as a moisture wicking polyester double-know polyester, mesh polyester, polyester-cotton, nylon, spandex, wool, bamboo, etc., or blends of different materials). In this example, each sleeve  105  includes one or more integrated panels  140  with cut-resistant fabric. In this example, the hockey top  100  also includes a pad securement mechanism in the form of an outer sleeve portion  115  with a panel  250  formed of the first fabric or a different fabric and a band  130  that is foldable over an elbow pad  205  to secure the elbow pad  205  to in location relative to the garment. In this example, an inner sleeve  120  may include a cuff portion with an integrated panel  140  of cut-resistant fabric that provides additional protection against lacerations and potential tendon cuts or other injuries in the wrist area or forearm area in the event that a hockey skate blade or other object impacts the wearer in this area. While the example of  FIGS. 1 and 2  show the integrated panel  140  that extends from a forearm area to a wrist area, such panels may be longer or shorter, or extend around an entire circumference or less than the entire circumference of the cuff area or cuff and forearm area of the sleeve  105 . 
     Various different types of cut-resistant fabric are known, and the type of cut-resistant fabric to be incorporated into the integrated panels  140  may be selected based on various properties of the fabric, such as weight, flexibility, breathability, resistance to cutting/piercing, or any combinations thereof. In some cases, different cut-resistant fabrics may be selected for different areas of the garment (e.g., a first type of cut-resistant fabric for the wrist area and a second cut-resistant fabric for the neck area). In the example of  FIGS. 1 through 2 , the integrated panel  140  of cut-resistant fabric in the wrist area is made from Cutlon 3282 available from Orneule Ltd. of Orivesi, Finland. Such material has a content of 93% Dyneema and 7% Lycra, in a single weave with a weight of 230 g/m 2  (in some cases, a cut-resistant fabric may have at least 90% Dyneema and at least 5% Lycra, although other types and blends of materials are within the scope of the present disclosure). Other or different types of cut-resistant fabric may be used and are considered within the scope of the present disclosure. Further, in some cases one or more metallic or polymeric panels may be integrated into one or more portions of the garment  100 , to provide additional protection against lacerations and potential cuts of a user&#39;s body. 
     Further, in the example of  FIGS. 1 through 2 , the hockey top  100  also includes a pad securement mechanism in the form of an outer sleeve  115  (e.g., a 10 inch outer sleeve) that is foldable over an elbow pad  205  of a wearer (such as shown in  FIG. 2 ). In this example, the outer sleeve  115  may be secured at an upper part of the forearm portion of sleeve  105  such that the outer sleeve  115  is coaxial with the inner sleeve  120  (the inner sleeve  120  may be simply referred to as a sleeve along with portions of the sleeve  105  that are above the securement point of the outer sleeve  115 ). An elastic band  130  located at an end of the outer sleeve  115  may provide that, when the outer sleeve  115  is folded from a first position as illustrated in example sleeve  200 - a  to a second position as illustrated in example sleeve  200 - b . As illustrated by arrow  215 , the outer sleeve  115  and elastic band  130  may be folded up and over a portion of the elbow pad  205 , with the elastic band  130  helping to secure or anchor the pad in a proper location. In this example, the sleeve also includes optional friction-enhancing pads  210 , and the elastic band  130  may also include such optional friction-enhancing pads  135 . Such friction-enhancing pads may include, for example, an applique formed in pad shapes or in any desired pattern, and may include silicone, thermoplastic rubber (santoprene), polyurethane (thermoplastic or thermoset), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or any combinations thereof, that act to help secure or anchor the pad  205  in a desired location of the wearer. The inner sleeve  120  in this example includes the integrated panel of cut-resistant fabric  140  that extends along the forearm and wrist area of the sleeve. In some cases, additionally or alternatively, the securement mechanism may include hook and loop material configured to engage with a complementary hook and loop material that is attached to the protective pad or on another area of the sleeve. 
       FIGS. 3 through 5  illustrate a pair of hockey base layer pants  300  that include integrated panels  415  of cut-resistant fabric in the Achilles area above the ankle. In this example, the hockey base layer pants  300  include a waist band  305 , an upper thigh area  310  (e.g., made of a compression fabric such as spandex, polyester, etc.), an upper front area  315  (e.g., made of a mesh polyester), a lower front area (e.g., made of a polyester fabric), an inner thigh area  325  (e.g., made of a compression fabric such as spandex, polyester, etc.), a lower leg area  330  that extends to the bottom of each leg (e.g., made of a compression fabric such as spandex, polyester, etc.). In this example, a rear waist portion  405  and rear leg panels  410  may be made from the same or different fabrics as other portions of the pants  300 . Optionally, a knee area may include friction-enhancing pads  335  that may help to anchor knee pads of the wearer in a similar manner as discussed above for the elbow pad. Further, the pants  300  may include a similar securement mechanism of an outer sleeve between a securement point  345  and a lower portion  340  (e.g., that may include an elastic band with optional friction-enhancing applique, optional hook-and-loop material that engages with complementary material on the leg or pad, or any combinations thereof) that may be folded over a knee pad for enhanced securement and anchoring of the knee pad. Alternatively, the securement mechanism may be left in a folded-down position to aid in the securement/anchoring of shin pads. In still further cases, separate securement mechanisms may be provided for knee, shin, and/or thigh pads (e.g., through the use of separate coaxial sleeves that can be folded over respective pads from points on the leg that are above or below the pads). 
     Garments which are constructed using such techniques may include sports garments, such as base layers or undergarments, such as illustrated in the examples of  FIGS. 1 through 5 . Other examples of garments may include garments for other sports, in which integrated panels of cut-resistant fabric are incorporated in strategic areas to help prevent lacerations that may occur in such sports (e.g., cut-resistant panel(s) in lower extremities of football or baseball base layers to prevent injuries due to cleat punctures). Such garments may have more protective panels located at selected high-vulnerability locations. Such designs may provide enhanced safety to wearers while also allowing sufficient air flow and sufficient elasticity to maintain a comfortable fit, through selection of lighter, less protective material in areas that experience significantly less likelihood of cuts or punctures but that contact a relatively large surface area of the user. Furthermore, such techniques may provide garments with high durability and enhanced safety, and that also provide comfortable fit and compression/elasticity such that the garment maintains a good fit overall over the lifetime of the garment. 
     As will be understood, the various examples of protective garments described herein are simply exemplary aspects of garments that may be constructed according to the present disclosure. Other types of garments are considered to be within the teachings of the present disclosure. The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.