Patent Publication Number: US-2011067270-A1

Title: Hockey Foot Shield

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application relies upon U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/045,761 filed Apr. 17, 2008, the content of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to safety gear for an athlete and in greater detail to safety gear for hockey player to be worn on a hockey skate. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Ice hockey has been a competitive sport since the mid 1800&#39;s. Ice hockey is a game in which a frozen piece of hard rubber (i.e., a puck) is slapped about by players with a hockey stick in an attempt to put the puck in the opposing team&#39;s goal. By its very nature, ice hockey is a very fast paced, unpredictable and aggressive sport. 
     Before the advent of indoor ice arenas, it was only possible to skate outdoors where it was cold enough to make the necessary ice. Because it was cold enough to make ice, it was quite cold for the people ice skating. To compensate for the cold felt by the people skating, many devices were invented to keep a person&#39;s foot warm and protect it from the harsh cold weather. Many examples of such skate warmers exist. However, these prior art devices are designed solely to keep a skater&#39;s foot warm and not to protect it from contact by a potentially harmful object. 
     The prior art devices provide little protection from a puck being shot into the side or front of the player&#39;s foot. These references completely fail to address the problems associated with protecting the foot from an impact type contact resulting in a bruised or broken bone. 
     An ice hockey puck is made from rubber that is frozen prior to play. The puck is passed and shot by players at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. The puck is a very hard and dangerous instrument. While it has been known for some time that a hard hit puck can break bones in a player&#39;s foot, even though the player&#39;s skate is padded, very little has been proposed to prevent such an injury from occurring. Hockey sticks, made of hardwood and aluminum, are swung by players in an attempt to hit the puck. They can hit the feet of a player resulting in impact injuries to the foot including, but not limited to, soft tissue bruising, bruising of the bone and fractures. 
     There have been some attempts in the prior art to help prevent injuries to an athlete&#39;s feet, because foot injuries are not entirely unique to ice hockey. One type of prior art device relates to baseball. Because of the propensity for a baseball to be fouled off toward the batter&#39;s feet, ball players have been known to wear protectors to prevent injury to their feet and ankles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,476, to Bertrand et al., discloses a releasably attached, soft padded foot and ankle protector designed to cover the top of the player&#39;s foot and inside ankle. Other examples include U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,248, to Samuels; U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,493, to Mues and U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,318, to Cornell. 
     While known to provide at least some protection to the player&#39;s feet, the prior art devices have proven to be insufficient and lacking in several aspects, in that they do not address the unique needs of hockey players. 
     Thus, there continues to be a significant need for a device that will adequately protect a hockey player&#39;s feet during play. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention comprises a guard or a hockey foot shield for protecting the foot of a hockey player. The guard is placed in a position by the laces of the skate. In one embodiment the guard is placed under the laces. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  show the guard in combination with the laces and skate; and 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  show the a plan view of the guard or a hockey foot shield and the various layers of the guard or a hockey foot shield. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Disclosed is a hockey foot shield  100  for covering at least in part the laced foot portion of a player wearing a hockey skate  110 , the hockey skate  110  having a front portion including a tongue and laced portion  105 . The hockey foot shield  100  covering includes a first and second layer ( 221  and  224 ) forming an envelope and the envelope including a shock absorbing polymeric gel  223 , wherein the hockey foot shield  100  is adapted to fit over the tongue portion of the skate  110 . 
       FIG. 1  shows the guard  100  in combination with the laces  105  and skate  110 .  FIG. 2  shows the guard  100  and the various layers  221 ,  222 ,  223 , and  224  of the guard. Of course the guard  100  may be formed from a solid material or be layered as shown in  FIG. 2 . For example the guard may be formed having a nylon front and back ( 221  and  224 ) sandwiching a substantially rigid material  222  such as a plastic or composite. Furthermore, a substantially impact resistant material  223  may also be sandwiched between the nylon layers ( 221  and  224 ) as shown in  FIG. 2  as the gel layer, such as IMPACT GEL marketed by Impact Gel Corp. of Melrose, Wis. In an embodiment, layer  223  is positioned beneath the layer  222 . In an embodiment, the upper layer  221  includes a plurality of protrusions, which extend outwardly from a main body of the upper layer  221 . In an embodiment, the lower layer  224  includes a plurality of protrusions, which extend outwardly from a main body of the lower layer  224 . The protrusions can include apertures therein. The apertures in the upper layer  221  and the lower layer  224  are aligned. The protrusions extend beneath the upper edges of the upper of the hockey skate  110 , see  FIGS. 1B and 2A . Apertures can align with eyes in the hockey skate. Laces  105  extend through eyes in the hockey skate  110  and apertures in the protrusions. 
     The gel may be that described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,041,719, the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety. 
     Embodiments of the gel layer can comprise both an energy absorbing compound and a method for making the same. The energy absorbing compound typically comprises an epoxidized vegetable oil combined with a prepolymer and a thermoplastic polymer. Additionally, a catalyst or an accelerant may be added to the energy absorbing compound to aid in the formation of the compound. Typically the activator or accelerant is a metal activator such as an alkyl tin compound. 
     The compound may be described as a gel or having gel-like qualities. The use of the term “gel” is not intended to be restrictive as to describing only a colloidal system but is used to describe any semi-solid substance that is both resilient and elastic. 
     The elastomeric compound includes an epoxidized vegetable oil which can function as a plasticizer. By way of example, but not a limited example, epoxidized vegetable oils include epoxidized soybean oil, epoxidized linseed oil and epoxidized tall oil. Additional examples of epoxidized vegetable oils include epoxidized corn oil, epoxidized cottonseed oil, epoxidized perilla oil and epoxidized safflower oil. Epoxidized vegetable oils are typically obtained by the epoxidation of triglycerides of unsaturated fatty acid and are made by epoxidizing the reactive olefin groups of the naturally occurring triglyceride oils. Typically, the olefin groups are epoxidized using a peracid. One example of an acceptable epoxidized vegetable oil is an epoxidized soybean oil, Paraplex G-62, available from C. P. Hall Company of Chicago, Ill. Paraplex G-62 can function as both a plasticizer and a processing aid and is a high molecular weight epoxidized soybean oil on a carrier having an auxiliary stabilizer for a vinyl group. 
     In one embodiment, the gel composition comprises on weight percent basis an amount greater than 50% of the epoxidized vegetable (all percentages herein are by weight based on the total weight of the blended compound or gel). Additionally, the epoxidized vegetable oil may be included in an amount between about 55% to about 70%. In a further embodiment, the epoxidized vegetable oil may be included in an amount between about 55% and about 65% or include in an amount of about 60%. 
     The elastomeric composition includes a prepolymer. Various prepolymers may be utilized in the present composition so long as they do not substantially hinder the desired viscoelastic, shock-attenuating attributes of the elastomeric compound. Typically, the prepolymer is an isocyanate. The isocyanates that are suitable for the reactions of the present invention include aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, araliphatic, aromatic and heterocyclic polyisocyanates. While not intended to be limiting, specific examples include ethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-tetramethylene diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,12-dodecane diisocyanate, cyclobutane-1,3-diisocyanate, cyclohexane-1,3- and 1,4-diisocyanate and mixtures of these isomers; 1-isocyanato-3,3,5-trimethyl-5-isocyanato methyl cyclohexane; 2,4- and 2,6-hexahydrotolylene diisocyanate and mixtures of these isomers, perhydro-2,4′- and/or 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 1,3- and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate, 2,4- and 2,6-tolylene diisocyanate and mixtures of these isomers, diphenylmethane-2,4′- and/or 4,4′-diisocyanate, naphthyl-ene-1,5-diisocyanate, triphenylmethane-4,4′,4″-triiso-cyanate, polyphenylpolymethylene polyisocyanates of the type obtained by condensing aniline with formaldehyde, followed by phosgenation. 
     Example isocyanates include prepolymers based on methylene diphenylisocyanate reacted with polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene diols of 1000 and 2000 MW to be acceptable. These materials are known by such tradenames as Isonate 2181® from Dow, Mondur MP210® from Bayer, Rubinate 1209® and Rubinate 1790® from Huntsmanlsonate. 
     In an embodiment, the isocyanate can comprise on weight percent basis in the gel composition an amount between about 5% and about 20%. Additionally, the isocyanate can be included in an amount between about 5% to about 15%. In a further embodiment the isocyanate can be included in an amount between about 7% and about 11% or in an amount of about 9%. 
     The thermoplastic component of the present elastomeric compound can comprise most any thermoplastic compound having elastomeric properties. In one embodiment of the gel composition, thermoplastic compounds comprising polyurethane are excluded since such compounds tend to generally have the effect of limiting the elastomeric properties to the gel composition. 
     In an embodiment, an acceptable thermoplastic component includes polydienes. An example polydiene includes polybutadiene. Typically, the polybutadiene is a low molecular weight hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene resin such as Poly bd® available from Sartomer of Exton, Pa. Such resins or thermoplastics have primary allylic alcohol groups that exhibit high reactivity in condensation polymerization reactions. 
     The thermoplastic can comprise on weight percent basis in the gel composition an amount between about 20% and about 40%. Additionally, the thermoplastic can be included in an amount between about 25% to about 35%. In a further embodiment the isocyanate can be included in an amount between about 26% and about 33% or in an amount of about 29%. 
     Catalysts which are useful in producing the elastomeric composition in accordance with this invention include: (a) tertiary amines such as bis(dimethylaminoethyl)ether, trimethylamine, triethylamine, N-methylmorpholine, N-ethylmorpholine, N,N-dimethylbenzylamine, N,N-dimethylethanolamine, N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-1,3-butanediamine, triethanolamine, 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.-2]octane, N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine, N-methyldicyclohexylamine, 1,8-diazabicyclo[5,4,0]-undecene-7 and its salts such as phenol salt, hexanoate, and oleate; 2,4,6-tris(diaminomethyl)phenol, and the like; (b) tertiary phosphines such as trialkylphosphines, dialkylbenzylphosphines, and the like; (c) strong bases such as alkali and alkaline earth metal hydroxides, alkoxides, and phenoxides; (d) acidic metal salts of strong acids such as ferric chloride, stannic chloride, stannous chloride, antimony trichloride, bismuth nitrate and chloride, and the like; (e) chelates of various metals such as those which can be obtained from acetylacetone, benzoylacetone, trifluoracetylacetone, ethyl acetoacetate, salicylaldehyde, cyclopentanone-2-carboxylate, acetylacetone-imine, bis-acetylacetonealkylenediimines, salicylaldehydeimine, and the like, with various metals such as Be, Mg, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ti, Zr, Sn, As, Bi, Cr, Mo, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, or such ions as MoO++, UO++, and the like; (f) alcoholates and phenolates of various metals such as Ti(OR), Sn(OR), Al(OR), and the like, wherein R is alkyl or aryl and the reaction products of alcoholates with carboxylic acides, beta-diketones, and 2-(N,N-dialkylamino)alkanols, such as the well known chelates of titanium; (g) salts of organic acids with a variety of metals such as alkali metals, alkaline earth meals, Al, Sn, Pb, Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu, including, for example, sodium acetate, potassium laurate, calcium hexanoate, stannous acetate, stannous octoate, stannous oleate, lead octoate, metallic driers such as manganese and cobalt naphthenate, and the like; (h) organometallic derivates of tetravalent tin, trivalent and pentavalent As, Sb, and Bi and metal carbonyls of iron and cobalt, mercury compounds such as arylmercury carboxylates, phenylmercury acetate and propionate, and the like. 
     Typically, the activator or catalyst is an alkyl tin compound such as dialkyltin salts of carboxylic acids, e.g., dibutyltin diacetate, dibutyltin dilaurate, dibutyltin maleate, dilauryltin diacetate, dioctyltin diacetate, dibutyl-tin-bis(4-methylaminobenzoate), dibutyltin-bis(6-methylaminocaproate), and the like. Dialkyltin mercaptides, in particular diakyltin dimercaptide carboxylic acid esters, can also be utilized. Similarly, there can be used a trialkyltin hydroxide, dialkyltin oxide, dialkyltin dialkoxide or dialkyltin dichloride. Examples of these compounds include trimethyltin hydroxide, tributyltin hydroxide, trioctyltin hydroxide, dibutyltin oxide, dioctyltin oxide, dilauryltin oxide, dibutyltin-bis(isopropoxide), dibutyltin-bis-(2-dimethylaminopentylate), dibutyltin dichloride, dioctylin dichloride, and the like. 
     A specific example of an alkyl tin compound is a dioctyltin carboxylate, Cotin 430, available from Cambrex Co. of Itasca, Ill. Cotin 430 is a liquid organotin catalyst that is less sensitive to moisture and initiates relatively slower than other organotin catalysts. 
     The catalyst is employed in small amounts, for example, from about 0.001 percent to about 5 percent or more, based on weight of the reaction mixture gel. In a further embodiment the catalyst may be added in amount between about 0.1% to about 2%. An additional embodiment includes the catalyst added in an amount or less than 1% or in an amount of about 0.3%. 
     It is within the scope of the present invention to incorporate other additives such as fillers, pigments, surfactants, plasticizers, organic blowing agents, as stabilizers, and the like, in the manufacture of the energy-attenuating viscoelastic elastomers, gels and foams of this invention. 
     In addition to water, a chemically participating extender and carbon dioxide-producing blowing agent, foams can be prepared by the use of conventional organic blowing agents. Typical representative examples are trichlorofluoromethane, methylene chloride, low boiling hydrocarbons, ethers and ketones, and the like. The use of water in combination with one or more organic blowing agent is also contemplated. 
     Particularly in the manufacture of foams, surface-active additives such as emulsifiers and foam stabilizers can be used. Suitable emulsifiers include, for example, the sodium salts of castor oil sulfonates and salts of fatty acids with amines such as oleic acid diethylamine and stearic acid diethanol amine. Alkali or ammonium salts of sulfonic acids, such as dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid, or dinaphthylmethane disulfonic acids can be used. The alkali or ammonium salts of fatty acids, such as ricinoleic acid, or of polymeric fatty acids can also be used as surface-active additives. 
     Suitable foam stabilizers include polyether siloxanes, particularly water-soluble block copolymers of siloxanes and polyethers. These compounds generally are prepared by joining a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide or a homopolymer of ethylene oxide to a polydimethylsiloxane radical. 
     Suitable stabilizers against the effects of aging and weathering and substances having fungistatic and bacteriostatic effect can also be used. Typical additives of this type are phenolic and aromatic amine antioxidants, UV-stabilizers, hindered carbodiimides known to retard hydrolysis and oxidation, arsenic fungicidal compounds, tin and mercury bacteriocides, and the like. 
     Fillers which can be used for the purpose of extension or reinforcement of the elastomers and foams of the present invention include, among others, amorphous silicone hydroxides, carbon black, walnut and pecan shells, cork, cellulose, starch, calcium carbide, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, clays, calcium wallastonite, and the like. 
     The method of forming the elastomeric compound includes combining the previously described components and letting such a mixture set to form the gel compound. The components once combined may then be stirred or mixed together such they can combine to form the gel. In an additional embodiment, the method includes a two part mix which can be combined to form the gel compound. The first part of the mix includes the plasticizer and the prepolymer. The second part also includes the plasticizer along with the thermoplastic polymer and the catalyst. The two parts are then combined and mixed to form a gel mix that is allowed to set to form the semi-solid gel composition. 
     The energy absorbing compound (gel) possesses good energy-attenuating properties and is capable of absorbing repeat shocks without structural damage. The gel and structures described herein can be used in many kinds of safety padding, such as knee protectors for contact sports such as wrestling, protective knee, shoulder and arm pads for football and soccer players, ice hockey and basketball players, and the like, and in the field of footwear, insoles, outsoles, and other footwear components exhibiting energy-moderating or attenuating properties. 
     The present invention generally relates to an energy absorbing material such as a polymeric compound which exhibits low rebound velocity and high hysteresis, among other desirable characteristics which are conducive to the function of a good energy-attenuating material. The polymeric compound is capable of repeatedly absorbing shock without structural damage and without appreciable sag due to prolonged exposure to continuous dynamic loading. Additionally, the polymeric compound provides vibration dampening, sound attenuation, and various energy absorbing functions. 
     Generally the energy absorbing compound (gel layer  223 ) comprises an epoxidized vegetable oil, a thermoplastic polymer and a prepolymer. The epoxidized vegetable oil generally encompasses either an epoxidized soybean or linseed oil or combinations of the two. The epoxidized vegetable oil typically comprises more than 50% by weight of the energy absorbing compound. Furthermore, the energy absorbing compound may also include an activator such as a metal catalyst. 
     In an embodiment, the energy absorbing compound (gel layer  223 ) can comprise the epoxidized vegetable oil and a thermoplastic polymer which is substantially free of a polyurethane. The energy absorbing compound also includes a prepolymer and the metal activator. Typically, the metal activator is an alkyl tin compound and the prepolymer comprises an isocyanate. 
     In greater detail, the energy absorbing compound (gel layer  223 ) comprises on a percent weight basis of compound at least greater than 50% of a vegetable based plasticizer. The vegetable based plasticizer includes epoxidized vegetable oils, such as linseed and soybean oils. Additionally, the energy absorbing compound includes between about 20% to about 40% of a thermoplastic polymer and between about 5% to about 20% of a prepolymer. The shock absorbing compound may include between about 0.1 to about 5% of an activator. 
     An embodiment includes a method of forming the energy absorbing compound for the shield  100 . The method of forming the energy absorbing compound for the shield  100  includes combining and mixing an epoxidized vegetable oil and a thermoplastic polymer which is substantially free of a polyurethane and a prepolymer to form the energy absorbing compound, which is allowed to cure or set into a gel like state. 
     In an embodiment, the method for forming the energy absorbing compound for the shield  100  includes forming the compound using a two part polymer. The first part of the polymer mix includes an epoxidized vegetable oil and a prepolymer and the second component comprises a thermoplastic polymer, an epoxidized vegetable oil and an activator. The activator typically includes an alkyl tin compound and the vegetable oil is selected from soybean oil, linseed oil, and a combinations thereof. 
     The energy absorbing compound for the shield  100  is formed into the layer  223  and inserted between layers  221 ,  224 . In an embodiment, the energy absorbing layer  223  is inserted into an envelope formed by the layers  221 ,  224 . In an embodiment, layer  223  is positioned beneath the layer  222 . 
     A hockey foot shield  100  for covering at least in part the laced foot portion of a player wearing a hockey skate  110 . The hockey skate  100  having a front portion including a tongue and laced portion on the upper. The hockey foot shield  100  covering comprises a first and second layer forming an envelope and the envelope including a shock absorbing polymeric gel, wherein the hockey foot shield is adapted to fit over the tongue portion of the skate. 
     The hockey foot shield  100  can include layers that are formed from a resilient polymeric material. 
     The hockey foot shield  100  can include opposed layers that are sealed to form an envelope containing the shock absorbing polymeric gel. 
     The hockey foot shield  100  can include layers that are formed from a woven material. 
     The hockey foot shield  100  can include layers of the polymeric material that comprises at least greater than 50% by weight of an epoxidized vegetable oil, a thermoplastic polymer; and a prepolymer. The hockey foot shield  100  can further include an activator. The activator can be an alkyl tin compound. The epoxidized vegetable oil can be selected from the group consisting of soybean oil, linseed oil, and combinations thereof. The prepolymer can comprise an isocyanate selected from the group of aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, araliphatic, aromatic, heterocyclic polyisocyaniates and combinations thereof. The thermoplastic polymer can be substantially free of a polyurethane. The thermoplastic polymer can be a polydiene. The thermoplastic polymer is a polybutadiene. The polymeric gel can comprise, on a percent weight basis of the gel, at least greater than about 50% of a vegetable based plasticizer, between about 20% and about 40% of a thermoplastic polymer, and between about 5% and about 20% of a prepolymer. 
     While Applicant has set forth embodiments as illustrated and described above, it is recognized that variations may be made with respect to disclosed embodiments. Therefore, while the invention has been disclosed in various forms only, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many additions, deletions and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, and no undue limits should be imposed except as set forth in the following claims.