Patent ID: 7735161

Claim:
A chest protector for reducing risk of commotio cordis, the chest protector comprising: an inner protector member comprising a protector plate having a first surface facing the user's chest and a second surface facing away from the user's chest, the first surface having a central portion and side portions, the protector plate having a convex surface relative to the chest and maintaining the convex surface when not being worn by the user, the protector plate being a single piece of material that extends from a left side portion of the user's chest to a right side portion of the user's chest; and a pair of spaced apart supporting members attached to side portions substantially near edges of the first surface of the protector plate away from the central portion of the first surface such that an air space is defined by the central portion of the first surface and the pair of spaced apart supporting members, the air space extending at least one-third of the first surface of the protector plate; and an outer shell to enclose the inner protector member; wherein the protector plate and the pair of supporting members are configured such that the central portion of the first surface of the protector plate is spaced apart from the chest, and when an object impacts the second surface of the protector plate, the impact force is distributed to the supporting members and passed to side portions of the user's chest.