Deflector-Arm Protector

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is directed towards protection for athletic activities and improving preventative methods for injury.

2. Description of Related Art

A variety of sports equipment provide the necessary protection requires for athletic participation in activities involving impact forces. It is desirable to minimize the magnitude of force inflicted upon various areas of the athlete's body. Athletes at all levels of competition (e.g. ranging from Little Leagues to the Major Leagues) continue to play at various levels of risk which potentially leads towards injury.

The present inventor has recognized a need for improved protection and freedom for movement (e.g. not limited to baseball or softball) which continues to allow body mechanics to proceed without any intervention. Today's market provides protection for the hand, forearm, elbow, or any combination thereof. This protective gear usually is comprised of various padded material or combined with a plastic insert to help reduce the impact force generated.

Prior art pad material configurations (e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,951,317 and 3,991,420) provide some protection but tends to be bulky and inconvenient for wear. Some designs prohibit freedom of movement because they are bulky and rigid. Most configurations provide pad material or enhanced with plastic inserts to minimize the load due to impact forces (e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,756,026; D290,766; D300,676; and D311,075).

Improvement on protection and impact force distribution are achieved by the deflector concept used by athletes participating in a variety of sports activities. This protective garment wraps around the entire arm from the hand to the shoulder and is secured by VELCRO.TM. straps. This embodiment can have single or multiple connectors (VELCRO.TM.) depended on the coverage for protection. Protection can be adapted for any joint whether it be a knee, hip, wrist, ankle, shoulder or any combination thereof. A flexible plastic insert interfaced with padding material both with varying geometry absorbs impact forces (e.g. pitched softball or baseball). The impact on the arm are greatly reduced to the load distribution stemming from the design profile.

The Deflector is comprised of padded material (e.g. foam, cotton material, rubber sponge, etc.) covered by a flexible plastic insert with varying geometric profiles for absorbing and distributing impact forces. Both the padding and plastic inserts are fitted within a sleeve of varying shapes depended on the requires protective coverage for the arm. The allowable freedom for body mechanics is consider to be an additional benefit.

This Invention has a unique cross section consisting of plastic insert/padding assembly. Consider the plastic insert as the primary layer and the padding as the secondary layer for protection. The spacing between the hemispherical profiles or mounds (on plastic insert) is designed to accommodate and distribute impact forces coming from baseball and softball geometry's. The mounds can be created as solid profiles of varying thickness or may even include holes as an option for additional air circulation. Flexibility comes from the small triangular or radial grooves with minimal thickness located between the mounds of the plastic layer. The secondary protective layer (padding) provides the cushion between the plastic insert and the body and continues to minimize the impact forces. Holes in the padding itself are considered an option for additional air circulation.

Embodiments of the invention summarized above may be better understood by referring to the following descriptions along with the respective drawings:

FIG. 1 shows the "Deflector" - Arm Protector general concept

FIG. 2 shows the backside of the hand protection

FIG. 3 shows the "Deflector" with alternate shoulder and elbow profile

FIG. 4 shows the "Deflector" with alternate elbow profile

FIG. 5 shows view of alternate elbow protection for arm protector

FIG. 6 shows end view of elbow area of arm protector

FIG. 7 shows the padding layout for the arm protector

FIG. 8 shows the alternate padding layout for the shoulder

FIG. 9 shows a view of alternate shoulder pads

FIG. 10 shows a view of sheathe shoulder pads

FIG. 11 shows the isometric view of the plastic insert with holes as an option

FIG. 12 shows the isometric view of the plastic insert with hemispherical profiles or mounds separated by triangular or radial grooves for flexibility

FIG. 13 shows the end view of the flexible plastic insert

This arm protector, FIG. 1, wraps around the entire arm from the hand to the shoulder. The arm protector is designed for quick assembly by inserting the hand and arm through an opening, A in FIG. 1, between the elbow and shoulder. The hand is fitted between the hand protector, B in FIG. 1, and elastic band, C in FIG. 2. Inserting two to three middle fingers into the elastic band, D in FIG. 2, helps to secure the hand protector.

The shoulder pad assembly, G in FIG. 1, has a VELCRO.TM. strap underneath, E. in FIG. 1, which is assembled onto a mating piece sewn onto the athlete's jersey or uniform. The entire arm protector assembly is fitted snugly by securing the VELCRO.TM. straps, F in FIG. 1, according to the Athlete's comfort needs.

The hand protector, B in FIG. 1, and flexible plastic insert/pad assembly, I in FIG. 1, located between hand and elbow and also located between elbow and shoulder are tied by an elastic band or cloth type material, H in FIG. 1.

The entire arm protector, FIG. 1, is enclosed within a sleeve of varying shapes depended on the required protective coverage for the arm. The sleeve can be made of any elastic type material such as nylon, polyester, rayon, cotton, or material combinations.

An alternative arm protector, FIG. 3, shown without the hand protector, B in FIG. 1, exhibits a new shoulder assembly, J in FIG. 3, and new elbow assembly, K in FIG. 3. The new shoulder pad assembly also has a VELCRO.TM. strap, E in FIG. 3, adhered underneath to latch onto a sewn strap found on the uniform. A secondary VELCRO.TM. strap, L in FIG. 3, found underneath an extended material segment will provide additional retention. The VELCRO.TM. straps, F in FIG. 3, continue to provide the primary retainment of the arm protector.

A third alternative arm protector, FIG. 4, has no protection for the hand, B in FIG. 1, yet exhibits an alternate elbow assembly, M in FIG. 4. A single piece (flexible plastic insert/pad geometry), N in FIG. 4, provides protection above the elbow. Otherwise, the primary adjustment and latching for the arm protector come from the straps, F in FIG. 4, and the shoulder strap, E in FIG. 4, previously described in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

A rear end view, FIG. 6, of the arm exhibits the flexible plastic insert/pad assembly, I in FIG. 6, extending down the arm with a predetermined width over the elbow extending down the forearm for a predetermined length. Portions of the arm protector covering the forearm, 0 in FIG. 6, are attached to the elbow and upper arm segment by an elastic band or cloth type material, H in FIG. 6.

An alterative concept for elbow protection, FIG. 5 and M in FIG. 4, exhibits an insert/pad configuration illustrating the center pad, P in FIG. 5, as the pivotal protection. The remaining insert/pad assemblies, Q and R in FIG. 5, provide the extended protection required for the adjacent sides of the elbow pivotal point.

The secondary protective layer (padding) as illustrated in FIG. 7 can provide backup coverage to the flexible plastic insert for the entire area or as pad configurations, S in FIG. 7. Elbow pad coverage requires a different geometry, T in FIG. 7. The hand requires a couple of pads, V in FIG. 7, to support the insert. Coverage for the shoulder, also requires geometry's, U in FIG. 7, conforming to the pad for the sheath pad assembly. Another alternative pad assembly for the shoulder is illustrated in FIG. 8.

Two concepts for shoulder protection are illustrated in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. These profiles are contained within a sleeve fabricated from an elastic cloth type material. One shoulder profile, FIG. 9, exhibits a pad/plastic shell, X in FIG. 9, held together by sewn or adhered elastic bands, Z in FIG. 9, on either side of adjoining pad/plastic shell, W in FIG. 9. An extension, Y in FIG. 9, provides another location for VELCRO.TM. latching. Another shoulder profile, FIG. 10, exhibits a sheath pad profile that enables the pad/plastic shells, 1 in FIG. 10, to expand away from one another using plastic bands found underneath the single pad/plastic shell, 2 in FIG. 10, as the arm is reaching up away from the body. This single pad, 2 in FIG. 10, is attached to the other two pads, 1 in FIG. 10, with sewn or adhered elastic bands, Z in FIG. 10.

Two flexible plastic insert profiles designed to distribute impact forces are illustrated in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12. This unique hemispherical or mound profile, 3 in FIG. 12, varies in thickness, 5 FIG. 12, to meet the requirements for minimizing the subjected impacted forces. The spacing between the mounds or hemispheres, 3 in FIG. 12, is adjusted to accommodate the radial profile or any profile variation of the incoming object or in this case a baseball or softball so that it never impacts the triangular or radial groove, 4 in FIG. 12, area of the insert. Thus a void is created between the Hemispherical or mound profiles, 3 in FIG. 12, and the triangular or radial grooves, 4 in FIG. 12. The flexibility comes from the triangular or radial grooves, 4 in FIG. 12, lying between the hemispherical or mound profiles, 3 in FIG. 12, generally with less thickness. Holes may be considered as an option for air circulation as illustrated in FIG. 11. A cross sectional view of the flexible plastic insert/pad assembly as illustrated in FIG. 13 exhibits the flexible plastic insert, 7 in FIG. 13, adhered or sewn onto the pad, 6 in FIG. 13. The insert, 7 in FIG. 13, acts as the primary protective layer taking on the initial impact force and then distributing the load which is then accommodated by the pad, 6 in FIG. 13, acting as the secondary protective layer.

It is apparent that modifications and adaptations of the preferred embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it should be understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.