Patent Publication Number: US-7712150-B2

Title: Protective pad assembly magnetically attachable to garment

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to fastening of protective cushioning devices in general, and more particularly to a protective pad magnetically attachable directly to a garment for protecting user&#39;s knee and/or elbow joints. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Typically, protective pad, or cushioning, devices, such as knee pads, are attached to a body part of a user by various methods including belt straps, clips, wraps, elastic stretching, glues, tapes and adhesives. The common drawback of prior art methods of fastening is that they become uncomfortable to the user (wearer) during prolonged usage do to binding, burning and chaffing which results in irritation to the skin and limb tingling and bruising which is brought on by constricting of the blood vessels.  FIG. 1  shows a common kneepad  1  fastened to the user&#39;s leg  6  utilizing straps  3   a  and  3   b  to attach the kneepad  1  to a knee area  7  of the leg  6 . A strap  3   a  wraps around the back of the lower thigh portion  6   a , and whereas a strap  3   b  wraps around the upper calf portion  6   b . The straps  3   a  and  3   b  cause constriction of the blood vessels and eventually cut and chafe the thigh portion  6   a  and the calf portion  6   b , respectively. 
   Therefore, there is a need for a protective pad assembly that overcomes shortcomings of the prior art and advances the art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a protective pad assembly for releasably attaching to a garment in order to protect user&#39;s body joints, such as knee and/or elbow joints. 
   The protective pad assembly of the present invention comprises a flexible inner member provided to be disposed inside the garment, an outer member provided to be disposed outside the garment and a securing device provided for releasably attaching the outer member to the inner member. The outer member further includes an outer protective pad. The securing device includes an inner magnetically attractive element attached to the inner member and an outer magnetically attractive element attached to the outer member. The outer magnetically attractive element and the inner magnetically attractive element are magnetically attractable to each other so as to hold the protective pad assembly in place on the garment. Moreover, one of the inner magnetically attractive element and the outer magnetically attractive element is a magnet. 
   The protective pad assembly in accordance with the present invention makes the wearing of protective pad assembly more comfortable and eliminates the risk of blood clots and nerve damage due to the strangulation effect of straps tightly pulled around user&#39;s limb. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a kneepad of the prior art; 
       FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a knee pad assembly in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3A  is a front perspective view of an inner member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3B  is a rear perspective view of the inner member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4A  is a front perspective view of an outer member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4B  is a rear perspective view of the outer member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a sectional view of a knee pad assembly in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6A  is a front perspective view of an inner member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6B  is a rear perspective view of the inner member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7A  is a front perspective view of an outer member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7B  is a rear perspective view of the outer member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view of a knee pad assembly in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 9A  is a front perspective view of an inner member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 9B  is a rear perspective view of the inner member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 10A  is a front perspective view of an outer member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 10B  is a rear perspective view of the outer member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 11  is a sectional view of a knee pad assembly in accordance with a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 12A  is a front perspective view of an inner member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 12B  is a rear perspective view of the inner member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 13  is a front perspective view of an outer member of a knee pad assembly in accordance with the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 14A  is a front perspective view of an outer protective pad in accordance with the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 14B  is a rear perspective view of the outer protective pad in accordance with the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 15  is another front perspective view of the outer member of the knee pad assembly in accordance with the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with the reference to accompanying drawings. For purposes of the following description, certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “inner” and “outer”, “bottom” and “top”, “inside” and “outside” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. 
   It is also to be understood that the specific article illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification is simply exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept. Specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiment disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless expressly stated otherwise. Additionally, the word “a,” as used in the claims, means “at least one.” 
   FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 4 B of the accompanying drawings illustrate a first exemplary embodiment of a protective pad assembly of the present invention in the form of a knee pad assembly  10  for releasably attaching to a garment, such as trousers (pants)  2  shown in  FIG. 2 . The knee pad assembly  10  of the present invention comprises a flexible inner member (or base cushion made of an impact absorbing material)  12  provided to be disposed inside the pants  2 , and an outer member (or protective topical cushion made of an impact absorbing material)  14  provided to be disposed outside the pants  2 , as further illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The knee pad assembly  10  further comprises a securing device provided for releasably attaching the outer member  14  and the inner member  12  to each other Specifically, the securing device includes at least one inner magnetically attractive element  16  attached to the inner member  12 , and at least one outer magnetically attractive element  20  attached to the outer member  14 . Preferably, as illustrated in FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 4 B, the securing device includes a plurality of the inner and outer magnetically attractive elements  16  and  20 , respectively. Moreover, the number and location of the inner magnetically attractive elements  16  is complementary to a number and location of the outer magnetically attractive elements  20 . It will be appreciated that the inner magnetically attractive elements  16  and the outer magnetically attractive elements  20  are magnetically attractable to each other. 
   The flexible inner member  12 , illustrated in detail in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , includes a front layer  18   1  and a base layer  18   2  attached to each other in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as by sewing the layers  18   1  and  18   2  to each other. The inner magnetically attractive elements  16 , shown in phantom lines in  FIG. 3A , are disposed between the front and base layers  18   1  and  18   2 , respectively, of the inner member  12 , and are affixed to either front layer  18   1  or the base layer  18   2  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding. The front and base layers  18   1  and  18   2  of the inner member  12  are made of any appropriate flexible material, such as fabric, soft nylon lining, etc. 
   The outer member  14 , illustrated in detail in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , includes a front layer  22   1  and a base layer  22   2  attached to each other in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as by sewing the layers  22   1  and  22   2  to each other. The outer magnetically attractive elements  20 , as shown in phantom lines in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , are disposed between the front and base layers  22   1  and  22   2 , respectively, of the outer member  14 , and are affixed to either front layer  22   1  or the base layer  22   2  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding. The front and base layers  22   1  and  22   2  of the outer member  14  are made of any appropriate flexible material, such as fabric, soft nylon lining, etc. As further shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the outer member  14  also includes an outer protective pad  24  attached to the front layer  22   1  of the outer member  14  in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as by adhesively bonding or sewing into the front layer  22   1 . 
   According to the present invention, at least one of the inner magnetically attractive elements  16  and the outer magnetically attractive elements  20  are in the form of magnet. Preferably, both the inner magnetically attractive elements  16  and the outer magnetically attractive elements  20  are in the form of magnet, such as permanent magnets. Alternatively, only the inner magnetically attractive elements  16  or the outer magnetically attractive elements  20  are in the form of magnets. In this case, the opposite magnetically attractive elements are in the form of elements made of a ferromagnetic material, such as steel. Preferably, as illustrated in  FIGS. 3A-4B , the inner and outer magnetically attractive elements  16  and  20  are substantially thin, cylindrical pieces of magnet or ferromagnetic material. 
   In operation, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , on a clothed individual (user), the inner member  12  is placed inside the garment (or undergarment)  2  in the area of the body that needs protection, such as a knee  7  shown in  FIG. 2 , and whereas the outer member  14  is placed on the outside of the garment  2  directly over the inner member  12 . It will be appreciated that the location of the inner magnetically attractive elements  16  on the inner member  12  minors (is complementary to) the location of the outer magnetically attractive elements  20  on the outer member  14 . Accordingly, magnetic attraction between the inner magnetically attractive elements  16  of the inner member  12  and the outer magnetically attractive elements  20  of the outer member  14  holds the knee pad assembly  10  in place on the garment  2 . With the arrangement of the magnetic securing device of the present invention, the user can easily disengage the outer member  14  from the garment  2 , and reattach the outer member  14 . As further illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the outer member  14  is releasably attached to the inner member  12  solely by the magnetic attraction force between the outer magnetically attractive elements  20  and the inner magnetically attractive elements  16 . 
   More specifically, when the knee  7  of the user is flexed, the knee pad assembly  10  will stay with the pant  2  and give full coverage. When the user is in a standing position, the knee pad assembly  10  will hang on the pant leg  4 , away from the user&#39;s leg  6 , and allow airflow. The present invention allows the user to comfortably wear the knee pad assembly  10  and eliminates the risk of blood clots and nerve damage due to the strangulation effect of straps of the conventional kneepads tightly pulled around user&#39;s leg  6 . When the job is done the knee pad assembly  10  is easily disengaged and the knee pad assembly can be used the same way on another pair of pants. 
   FIGS.  5  and  6 A- 7 B illustrate a second exemplary embodiment of a protective pad assembly of the present invention in the form of a knee pad assembly for releasably attaching to a garment, such as trousers (pants)  2 , generally depicted by the reference character  110 . Components, which are unchanged from the previous exemplary embodiments of the present invention, are labeled with the same reference characters. Components, which function in the same way as in the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 4 B are designated by the same reference numerals to which 100 has been added, sometimes without being described in detail since similarities between the corresponding parts in the two embodiments will be readily perceived by the reader. 
   The knee pad assembly  110  in accordance with the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a flexible inner member (or base cushion made of an impact absorbing material)  112  provided to be disposed inside the pants  2 , and an outer member (or protective topical cushion made of an impact absorbing material)  114  provided to be disposed outside the pants  2 , as further illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The knee pad assembly  110  further comprises a securing device provided for releasably attaching the outer member  114  and the inner member  112  to each other. Specifically, the securing device according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a single inner magnetically attractive element  116  attached to the inner member  112 , and a single outer magnetically attractive element  120  attached to the outer member  114 . Preferably, as illustrated in FIGS.  5  and  6 A- 7 B, each of the inner and outer magnetically attractive elements  116  and  120 , respectively, is in the form of a flexible sheet of magnet (a full surface magnet). Moreover, a location of the inner magnetically attractive element  116  is complementary to a location of the outer magnetically attractive element  120 . It will be appreciated that the inner magnetically attractive element  116  and the outer magnetically attractive element  120  are magnetically attractable to each other. Preferably, each of the sheets of magnet  116  and  120  has an area slightly smaller than areas of the inner member  112  and the outer member  114 , respectively. In other words, each of the sheets of magnet  116  and  120  has the area substantially equal to the area of the inner member  112  and the outer member  114 , respectively. 
   It will be appreciated that magnetic attraction between the inner member  112  and the outer member  114  will hold the knee pad assembly  110  in place on the garment  2 . Alternatively, instead of having two sheets of magnet  116  and  120 , a sheet of ferromagnetic material can be used to replace or substitute one of the full surface sheet of magnet for either the inner member  112  or the outer member  114  to facilitate magnetic attraction. Such an arrangement would cut costs considerably and use less of the expensive magnetic material during manufacturing. As further illustrated in FIG  5 , the outer member  114  is releasably attached to the inner member  112  solely by the magnetic attraction force between the outer magnetically attractive elements  120  and the inner magnetically attractive elements  116 . 
   The flexible inner member  112 , illustrated in detail in  FIGS. 6A and 6B , includes a front layer  118   1  and a base layer  118   2  (such as a soft nylon lining) attached to each other in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as by sewing the layers  118   1  and  118   2  to each other. Preferably, the inner sheet of magnet  116  is affixed to the front layer  118   1  of the inner member  112  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding. Alternatively, the inner sheet of magnet  116  may be disposed between the front and base layers  118   1  and  118   2 , respectively, of the inner member  112 , and affixed to either front layer  118   1  or the base layer  118   2  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding. The front and base layers  118   1  and  118   2  of the inner member  112  are made of any appropriate flexible material, such as fabric, soft nylon lining, etc. 
   The outer member  114 , illustrated in detail in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , includes a front layer  122   1  and a base layer  122   2  attached to each other in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as by sewing the layers  122   1  and  122   2  to each other. Preferably, the outer sheet of magnet  120  is affixed to the front layer  122   1  of the outer member  114  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding. Alternatively, the outer sheet of magnet  120  may be disposed between the front and base layers  122   1  and  122   2 , respectively, of the outer member  114 , and affixed to either front layer  122   1  or the base layer  122   2  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding. The front and base layers  122   1  and  122   2  of the outer member  114  are made of any appropriate flexible material, such as fabric, soft nylon lining, etc. As further shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , the outer member  114  also includes an outer protective pad  124  attached to the front layer  122   1  of the outer member  114  in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as by adhesively bonding or sewing into the front layer  122   1 . Preferably, the outer protective pad  124  attached with rivets  125  to the front layer  122   1  of the outer member  114 . 
   The operation of the knee pad assembly  110  according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention is substantially similar to the knee pad assembly  10  according to the first exemplary embodiment. 
   FIGS.  8  and  9 A- 10 B illustrate a third exemplary embodiment of a protective pad assembly of the present invention in the form of a knee pad assembly for releasably attaching to a garment, such as trousers (pants)  2 , generally depicted by the reference character  210 . Components, which are unchanged from the previous exemplary embodiments of the present invention, are labeled with the same reference characters. Components, which function in the same way as in the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 4 B are designated by the same reference numerals to which 200 has been added, sometimes without being described in detail since similarities between the corresponding parts in the two embodiments will be readily perceived by the reader. 
   The knee pad assembly  210  in accordance with the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a flexible inner member (or base cushion)  212  provided to be disposed inside the pants  2 , and an outer member (or protective topical cushion)  214  provided to be disposed outside the pants  2 , as further illustrated in  FIG. 8 . The knee pad assembly  210  further comprises a securing device provided for releasably attaching the outer member  214  and the inner member  212  to each other. Specifically, the securing device according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a single inner magnetically attractive element  216  attached to the inner member  212 , and a single outer magnetically attractive element  220  attached to the outer member  214 . 
   Preferably, the inner magnetically attractive element  216  is in the form of a full surface sheet of ferromagnetic material (as illustrated in  FIGS. 8 and 9A ), while the outer magnetically attractive element  220  is in the form of an electromagnet, as illustrated in FIGS.  8  and  10 A- 10 B. Moreover, a location of the sheet of ferromagnetic material  216  is complementary to a location of the electromagnet  220 . It will be appreciated that the sheet of ferromagnetic material  116  and the electromagnet  120  are magnetically attractable to each other. It will be appreciated that magnetic attraction between the inner member  212  and the outer member  214  will hold the knee pad assembly  210  in place on the garment  2 . 
   The flexible inner member  212 , illustrated in detail in  FIGS. 9A and 9B , includes a front layer  218   1  and a base layer  218   2  (such as a soft nylon lining) attached to each other in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as by sewing the layers  218   1  and  218   2  to each other. Preferably, the sheet of ferromagnetic material  216  is affixed to an outer surface of the front layer  218   1  of the inner member  212  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding, while the base layer  218   2  in the form of a soft nylon lining is attached to an inner surface of the front layer  218   1 . Alternatively, the sheet of ferromagnetic material  116  may be disposed between the front and base layers  218   1  and  218   2 , respectively, of the inner member  212 , and affixed to either front layer  218   1  or the base layer  218   2  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding. The front and base layers  218   1  and  218   2  of the inner member  212  are made of any appropriate flexible material, such as fabric, soft nylon lining, etc. 
   The outer member  214 , illustrated in detail in  FIGS. 10A and 10B , includes a front layer  222   1  and a base layer  222   2  attached to each other in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as by sewing the layers  222   1  and  222   2  to each other. Preferably, the electromagnet  220  is affixed to an outer surface of the base layer  222   2  of the outer member  214  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding. The outer member  214  further includes a switch  226  for selectively actuating the electromagnet  220 , and a battery  228  supplying electrical current to the electromagnet  220  disposed in a battery compartment  230 . The battery compartment  230  is formed in the outer member  214  so as to allow access to change the battery  228 . The switch  226  is accessed and located on a frontal surface of the outer member  214  easily accessible by the user as shown in  FIG. 10A . Alternatively, the electromagnet  220  may be disposed between the front and base layers  222   1  and  222   2 , respectively, of the outer member  214 , and affixed to either front layer  222   1  or the base layer  222   2  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding. The front and base layers  222   1  and  222   2  of the outer member  214  are made of any appropriate material known in the art. As further shown in  FIGS. 10A and 10B , the outer member  214  also includes an outer protective pad  224  attached to the front layer  222   1  of the outer member  214  in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as by adhesively bonding or sewing into the front layer  222   1 . 
   Activation of the electromagnet  220  of the outer member  214  provides the magnetic attraction to engage full surface sheet of ferromagnetic material  216  of the inner member  212  holding the knee pad assembly  210  in place on the garment  2 . The operation of the knee pad assembly  210  according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention is substantially similar to the knee pad assembly  10  according to the first exemplary embodiment. 
   FIGS.  11  and  12 A- 12 B illustrate a fourth exemplary embodiment of a protective pad assembly of the present invention in the form of a knee pad assembly for releasably attaching to a garment, such as trousers (pants)  2 , generally depicted by the reference character  310 . Components, which are unchanged from the previous exemplary embodiments of the present invention, are labeled with the same reference characters. Components, which function in the same way as in the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 4 B are designated by the same reference numerals to which 300 has been added, sometimes without being described in detail since similarities between the corresponding parts in the two embodiments will be readily perceived by the reader. 
   The knee pad assembly  310  in accordance with the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a flexible inner member (or base cushion)  312  provided to be disposed inside the pants  2 , and an outer member (or protective topical cushion)  14  provided to be disposed outside the pants  2 , as further illustrated in  FIG. 5 . Alternatively, both the inner member  312  and the outer member  14  could be disposed outside the pants  2 . The knee pad assembly  310  further comprises a securing device provided for releasably attaching the outer member  14  and the inner member  312  to each other. The knee pad assembly  310  of FIGS.  11  and  12 A- 12 B corresponds substantially to the knee pad assembly  10  of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 4 B, and only the inner member  312 , which differs, will therefore be explained in detail below. 
   The flexible inner member  312 , illustrated in detail in FIGS.  11  and  12 A- 12 B, includes a front layer  18   1  and a base layer  18   2  (such as a soft nylon lining) attached to each other in any appropriate manner known in the art, such as by sewing the layers  18   1  and  18   2  to each other. Preferably, the inner magnetically attractive elements  16 , shown in phantom lines in  FIG. 12A , are disposed between the front and base layers  18   1  and  18   2 , respectively, of the inner member  312 , and are affixed to either front layer  18   1  or the base layer  18   2  by any appropriate means known in the art, such as by adhesive bonding. The front and base layers  18   1  and  18   2  of the inner member  312  are made of any appropriate flexible material, such as fabric, soft nylon lining, etc. 
   The flexible inner member  312  further includes two pair of straps:  42  and  44  attached about a periphery of the inner member  312 . Specifically, the straps  42  and  44  are attached to a first (right) vertical edge  17  of the inner member  312 , while the straps  46  and  48  are attached to a second (left) vertical edge  19  thereof (as shown in  FIG. 12B ). The straps  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  constitute means for strapping flexible inner member  312  to the leg  6  of the user. Specifically, the straps  42  and  46  are provided for strapping flexible inner member  312  to the leg  6  of the user above the knee  7 , while the straps  44  and  48  are provided for strapping flexible inner member  312  to the leg  6  of the user below the knee  7 . Distal ends of the straps  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  are secured to each other by means of any suitable fastening means known in the art, such as “Velcro”-type fastening means, in which the distal (free) end of each of the straps  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  has patches  50  of complementary hook and loop fastener elements thereon thereby releasably fastening the straps  42 ,  44 ,  46  and  48  in position for strapping the flexible inner member  312  in place on the leg  6 . It is to be understood that the particular type of releasable fastening means, such as “Velcro”-type fastening means, clips, snap connectors, etc., is well within the knowledge of one or ordinary skill in the art and therefore will not be elaborated. 
   FIGS.  13  and  14 A- 14 B and  15  illustrate a fifth exemplary embodiment of a protective pad assembly of the present invention. The protective pad assembly in accordance with the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a flexible inner member provided to be disposed inside the pants, and an outer member  414  provided to be disposed outside the pants. The protective pad assembly in accordance with the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention corresponds substantially to the knee pad assembly  10  of the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 4 B, and only the outer member  414 , which differs, will therefore be explained in detail below. Components, which are unchanged from the previous exemplary embodiments of the present invention, are labeled with the same reference characters. Components, which function in the same way as in the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention depicted in FIGS.  2  and  3 A- 4 B are designated by the same reference numerals to which 400 has been added, sometimes without being described in detail since similarities between the corresponding parts in the two embodiments will be readily perceived by the reader. 
   The outer member  414  includes a base portion  415  and an outer protective pad  424 . The outer member  314  further comprises a securing device provided for releasably attaching the outer protective pad  424  to the base portion  415 . Specifically, the securing device includes at least one outer magnetically attractive element  426  attached to a mounting base  423  of the base portion  415 , and at least one inner magnetically attractive element  427  attached to the outer protective pad  424 . Preferably, as illustrated in FIGS.  13  and  14 A- 14 B, the securing device includes a plurality of the outer and inner magnetically attractive elements  426  and  427 , respectively. Moreover, the number and location of the outer magnetically attractive elements  426  is complementary to a number and location of the inner magnetically attractive elements  427 . It will be appreciated that the outer magnetically attractive elements  426  and the inner magnetically attractive elements  427  are magnetically attractable to each other. In turn, the mounting base  423  is attached to a base layer  422  of the base portion  415  with rivets  425 . 
   The outer protective pad  424 , illustrated in detail in  FIGS. 14A and 14B , includes a front layer  429   1  and a base layer  429   2  attached to each other in any appropriate manner known in the art. The inner magnetically attractive elements  427 , shown in phantom lines in  FIG. 14A , are disposed between the front and base layers  429   1  and  429   2 , respectively, of the outer protective pad  424 . Further according to the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the outer magnetically attractive elements  426  and the inner magnetically attractive elements  427  are in the form of a magnet. Preferably, both the outer magnetically attractive elements  426  and the inner magnetically attractive elements  427  are in the form of magnet, such as permanent magnets. Alternatively, only the outer magnetically attractive elements  426  or the inner magnetically attractive elements  427  are in the form of magnets.  FIG. 15  shows the complete assembly of the outer member  414  with the outer protective pad  424  as installed. A pull ring  430  attached to the outer protective pad  424  is provided to disengage the outer protective pad  424  from the base portion  415  of the outer member  314 . It would be appreciated that the outer protective pad of the present invention can be manufactured from a range of soft to hard materials and one skilled in the art could easily change outer protective pads to accommodate the type of work and/or flooring without taking the entire knee pad assembly off from the user&#39;s leg. 
   Therefore, the protective pad assembly in accordance with the present invention makes the wearing of protective pad assembly more comfortable and eliminates the risk of blood clots and nerve damage due to the strangulation effect of straps tightly pulled around user&#39;s limb. 
   While the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described with the reference to the knee pad assembly, it will be appreciated that the present invention is equally applicable to other variations and alternative embodiments of the present invention, such as an elbow pad assembly for releasably attaching to a garment, such as shirt or jacket (not shown). The materials used in construction of the protective pad assembly according to the present invention may include a variety of compositions consistent with the function of the invention. 
   The description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for the purpose of illustration in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statutes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Multiple variations and alternative embodiments are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments disclosed hereinabove were chosen in order to best illustrate the principles of the present invention and its practical application to thereby enable those of ordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated, as long as the principles described herein are followed. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains. Thus, changes can be made in the above-described invention without departing from the intent and scope thereof. It is also intended that the scope of the present invention be defined by the claims appended thereto.