Patent ID: 8914917

Claim:
A universal hip pad set adapted to be selectively attached to athletic pants having either snap fasteners in the waistband, or to athletic pants having a waistband with a number of exposed belt slots through which a uniform belt extends, comprising: a pair of hip pads, each formed of resilient flexible padding material having a front side and a back side, a first thin support plate affixed to said front side, and at least one second thin support plate affixed to said back side of each said hip pad, respectively, said first and said at least one second support plate each formed of a stiff material; at least one pair of laterally spaced slotted apertures extending through each of said hip pads and said first and said at least one second support plates, respectively, each of said apertures having a vertical slot and an intersecting horizontal slot; at least one pair of snap fastener members, each snap fastener member slidably mounted in a respective said horizontal slot and movable therein relative to said vertical slot between either of a first attachment position and a second attachment position; in said first attachment position, said snap fastener members being movable to become aligned with mating snap members in the waistband of the athletic pants, and adapted to be pressed thereon to engage said snap fasteners of said pad with the mating fasteners of the waistband and secure said pads to the waistband of the pants; and in said second attachment position, said snap fastener members being movable to expose said vertical slots of said slotted apertures of said pads so as to be aligned with the exposed belt slots of the waistband of the athletic pants to allow lacing of the pants belt through said vertical slots of said apertures of said pads and secure said pads to the waistband of the pants.