AU1978197A - Flexible lightweight protective pad - Google Patents

Description

FLEXIBLE LIGHTWEIGHT PROTECTIVE PAD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to protective padding for the human body. The present invention has further relation to such protective padding that is lightweight, impact-absorbent, flexible, and breathable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Hip pads, and other protective padding, have been used for protecting the human body from damage due to impact from falls, accidents, sports, and other related events. In particular, bone fracture as a result of accidental falling is a common occurrence with elderly people, with people who have a osteoporosis, and people who are unsteady on their feet and have difficulty in walking. In elderly people, especially those with osteoporosis, bone fractures are very difficult to repair, and it is highly desirable to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

A variety of protective padding and garments have been made available in the past, but all with some shortcomings. A typical piece of protective wear is a pad that is either permanently fixed to a garment, or that slips into a pocket in the garment, or held in place by straps or a skin-safe adhesive so that the pad is positioned over a damage-prone area of the body. Such a damage-prone area, especially in the elderly, is the hip area. Hip fracture, which occurs in 2 to 3% of cases involving elderly fallers, generally involves fracture of the proximal end of die femur. This part of the femur consists of a head, neck, greater trochanter, and lesser trochanter. The greater trochanter projects outward at the most lateral area of the hip region and, being so located, is subjected to the brunt of impact force arising from a fall, in particular a sideways fall, onto the hip.

To protect the hip area, pads are typically fixed to the inside of clothing in die area that covers t^e hips, or are placed in pockets made in the clothing at the hip area. More specifically, the pads are typically positioned such that they overlie the greater trochanter, or, in the case of certain types of force or energy shunting pads, surround the greater trochanter without actually covering it.

The degree to which a pad needs to attenuate the force of impact during a fall is subject to much debate. This is because measurements of the force needed to fracture elderly cadaveric femurs in simulated fall loading configurations vary widely. These measurements range from 21 10 Newtons (J.C. Lotz & W.C. Hayes. J. Bone Joint Surg. [Am], Vol. 72. pp 689-700, 1990) to 6020 Newtons (T.G. Weber, K.H. Yang, R. Woo, R.H. Fitzgerald. ASME Adv. Bioeng. BED22: pp i 1 1- ] 14, 1992) depending upon the rate of loading. In addition, the velocity at which a falling human torso impacts a hard surface such as a tile floor can vary from about 2.0 to about 4.5 meters/second. Average velocities of about 2.6 meters/second have been cited by researchers (S.N. Robinovitch, J. Biomech. Eng. Vol. 9, pp 1391-1396, 1994) who have measured the speed of human volunteers falling on their hips. Estimates of the force delivered to an unpadded greater trochanter during a fall also range widely from about 5700 Newtons to 10,400 Newtons (J. Parkkari et al., J. Bone and Mineral Res., Vol. 10, No. 10, pp 1437-1442, 1995). The best evidence of pad effectiveness is obtained from clinical studies on living people.

Such a study has been carried out by Lauritzen et al. (Lancet, Vol. 341, pp 1 1 -13, 1993) using a hard shell-type pad. This pad was found to reduce incidence of hip fractures by about 50% in the population studied. In spite of these strong clinical results, the Lauritzen pad has been shown to provide relatively low force attenuation results when mounted on a surrogate hip and impacted by a heavy (35 kilogram) pendulum moving at a velocity of 2.6 meters/second (S.N. Robinovitch, et al., J. Biomechnical Engineering, Vol. 1 17, pp 409-413, 1995). Under these in- vitro test conditions, the Lauritzen pad reduced peak femoral force from about 5770 Newtons to about 4800 Newtons or only about 17%. A hip protector product based on the Lauritzen pad has been commercialized in Denmark by Sahvatex (a joint venture between Sahva A/S and Tytex A/S) under the tradename SAFEHIP™. The hip protectors, which are oval-shaped cups containing polypropylene hard shells, are sewn into a pair of cotton underwear.

These clinical findings suggest two hypotheses. First is that the pendulum impact tests used by other investigators may not correlate well with pad performance iπ-vivo even though such tests may be useful in measuring the force reduction capabilities of various padding systems relative to one another. In such tests the pad is mounted on a surrogate hip which is held in a fixed position and struck laterally by a swinging mass weighing 35 kilograms or more. In an actual fall, the dynamics are somewhat different. In a fall, both the pad and human body mass are moving downward, in fact being accelerated downward due to gravity, and strike a fixed object such as the ground or a hard floor which does not move much in response. One would suspect that if an instrumented surrogate hip was dropped onto a hard surface, to better replicate fall dynamics, the rank ordering of various padding systems would probably be similar, but somewhat different percent force reduction results might be obtained. The second hypothesis assumes the pendulum test does correlate widi in-vivo pad performance, and that even pads which provide relatively low levels of peak force reduction (about 20% or so) can be effective in reducing hip fractures across a segment of the elderly population prone to falling. In either case, and regardless of test method, a pad which reduces peak force more than the clinically tested Lauπtzen/Sahvatex pad should be even more effective in preventing hip fracture and protect an even broader segment of the elderly population.

Obviously, the more force reduction one obtains from a pad, the more likely it should reduce the incidence of hip fracture. However, our consumer research has taught us that, in addition to reducing the impact force exerted on the greater trochanter during a fall, pads must also provide other benefits to reinforce wearer compliance. These are related to both appearance and wearer comfort and include attributes such as maximum thickness, thickness profile, weight, breathability, flexibility, and conformability to the body, Prior pads have had many shortcomings in these areas.

Some prior art padding has been bulky and cumbersome in an attempt to provide for adequate protection from impact; many typical prior art pads purported to provide effective impact resistance are greater than 25.4 mm (I inch) in thickness. Thin prior art pads typically provide low resistance from impact, characterized by less than 30% peak force reduction as measured on surrogate hips either dropped or struck with heavy pendulums. Other padding has not been breathable, resulting in heat buildup on the skin that is covered by the pad. Still other padding has been stiff and rigid, thereby not conforming to the covered body parts. In addition, hard shell pads tend to be uncomfortable to sit on or sleep on when worn. Soft foam pads require greater thickness to absorb impact forces; the greater thickness results in a bulkier, less comfortable pad, and increased heat build up under the pad. All have resulted in relative discomfort to the users.

Our consumer research has shown that potential wearers, regardless of age or physical condition, are concerned with their appearance. Preferred are hip pads no thicker than about 25.4 mm (one inch), and more preferred are those about 19 mm (3/4 inch) maximum thickness or less. Thickness profile is also important. Preferred are pads which are tapered from the area of maximum thickness to the perimeter such that the pad edges do not show under normal clothing. A perimeter thickness range around the pad of 12.77 mm (1/2 inch) or less is generally preferred. Even more preferred is a perimeter thickness range of 6.35 mm (1/4 inch) or less.

Since most potential wearers are elderly women of slender body habitus and low body mass, pad weight is a concern. Preferred are pads less than about 300 grams each (600 grams per pair). Even more preferred are pads which weigh less than about 200 grams each (400 grams per pair). Most preferred are pads which weigh less than about 100 grams each (200 grams per pair).

Unlike sports pads which are meant to be wom over very short periods of time, protective hip pads for the elderly are intended to be worn all day, indoors and outdoors, in all climates hot and cold, and across all humidity conditions. Typical foam pads are made from closed cell foams which do not pass moisture or perspiration from the body. In addition, such pads are thermal insulators and do not dissipate body heat effectively. This leads to even more perspiration and moisture buildup under the pad which can damage the skin of elderly wearers. Preferred pads thus have substantial open area, preferably at least about 5% or more, and more preferably about 10% or more, to permit evaporation of perspiration and to vent body heat.

Disclosed herein is a new, improved protective padding, that provides increased impact resistance in a relatively thin, lightweight pad. Increased impact resistance is maintained while providing breathability to prevent heat buildup and the associated discomfort. Additionally, this new pad provides for flexibility and conformance to the part of the human body being protected without any adverse impact on its protective qualities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention there is provided a protective pad for protecting a predefined area of a human body against impact, the pad having a surface and a thickness, the pad comprising a layer of high density closed-cell polymer foam on the outer surface of the pad away from the wearer's body, and a layer of low density closed-cell polymer foam on the inner surface of the pad against the wearer's body. Typically, the high density foam has a density of from about 128 to about 192 kg per cubic meter (about 8 to about 12 pounds per cubic foot) and preferably about 160 kg per cubic meter (about 10 pounds per cubic foot). T e low density foam typically has a density of from about 48 to about 80 kg per cubic meter (about 3 to about 5 pounds per cubic foot) and preferably about 64 kg per cubic meter (about 4 pounds per cubic foot). The layers are fixed together to provide a relatively lightweight pad providing relatively high resistance to impact forces and relative comfort to the user.

The pad may have a plurality of score lines across the outer surface and partially through the thickness so as to provide substantial flexibility and conformability to the area of the human body covered by the pad, without significantly affecting resistance to impact forces. The pad may also have a plurality of open areas on the surface and completely through the thickness so as to provide for breathability and dissipation of heat from the area of the human body covered by the pad, while maintaining significant resistance to impact forces. In general, the pad weighs less than about 75 grams and has a maximum preferred thickness of less than about 25.4 mm. The overall size of the pad or area covered by the pad may range from about 96.7 to about 322.6 square cm (about 15 to about 50 square inches). The percentage of open area can range from about 10% to about 50% depending upon the overall size of the pad. In general, the pad's percentage of open area is selected so as to provide maximum ventilation while still providing 40% or more peak force reduction as measured in a surrogate hip impact test.

Such pads can be either permanently or removably attached to a garment. The garments are preferably made of fabric which promotes wicking of perspiration buildup away from the human body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject invention, it is believed the same will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a protective pad of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional view through lines 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a protective pad of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the hip pad of Figure 1 showing the pad in a flexed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals indicate the same element throughout the views, there is shown in Figure 1 an embodiment of the present invention, protective pad 10. The protective pad 10 is relatively lightweight, and is relatively thin (less an 25 mm in thickness, but most preferably 19 mm or less). It also may be relatively flexible and contoured as required depending on specific use, as will be described in more detail hereafter. The pad 10 has a high degree of open area through its thickness for breathability while maintaining significant impact resistance, as shown by holes 12. The present pad 10 also effectively reduces the force of an impact approximately 40 to 50 % over the impact force experienced without protection.

The pad 10 may be made in a variety of shapes based on the particular desired style and application, such as rectangular (as shown in Figure 3), square, round, oval and the like. Holes 12, for breathability and dissipation of body heat under the pad, can range from about 3.18 mm to about l .4 mm in diameter depending on the levels of breathability and impact resistance desired. Other shaped holes such as ovals, squares, and the like can also be employed. The surface area dedicated to holes 12 must be great enough to provide for sufficient ventilation, but not so great as to lower the peak force reduction capability of pad 10 to less than about 40%; the area dedicated to holes 12 may range from 10 to 50 percent of the total surface area while maintaining significant impact resistance. Pad 10 may be reticulated by slicing partially through its thickness, producing scorelines 14. Scoreiines 14 are cut preferably from a depth of about 1/4 to 3/4 of the overall pad thickness, and across the surface area, as shown in Figures I and 3. Scoreiines 14 are cut or molded into the pad from the outer surface or high density foam side of the pad. This makes the pad very flexible and able to conform to a wide range of shapes and sizes. The flexibility imparted by scoreiines 14 is shown in Figure 4.

The pattern and spacing in which the scoreiines are applied can be varied. For illustrative purposes, Figures 1 , 3, and 4 show the scoreiines cut at + or - 45 degrees to the straight edges of the pads and running through the centers of the holes in the pads. The scoreiines can also be cut at 90 degrees to the straight edges of the pad or any angle between + and - 45 degrees and 90 degrees to the edges. The scoreiines can run through the holes, between the holes, or in combinations through and between the holes. The scoreiines need not be cut as straight lines parallel and perpendicular to one another as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4. They can also be cut in a fan shaped array from one side of the pad. They can be curved, sinusoidal, or zigzagged across the pad. Preferred spacing between the scoreiines lies between about 6.53 mm and about 50.8 mm. Even more preferred spacing between the scoreiines lies between about 12.77 mm and about 25.4 mm.

The pad is made with two different types of foam materials. The outer impact layer 16 is a stiff high density material, preferably a closed-ceiled polymer foam, for example Voltek LI 000 polyethylene foam (Voltek, Lawrence, Massachusetts 01843). The inner layer 18 is a soft low density cushion material, also preferably a closed-cell polymer foam, for example Sentinel MC3800 polyethylene foam (Sentinel Products Corporation, Hyannis, Massachusetts 02601 ) . The outer layer 16 is able to provide maximal impact absorbence and is stiff enough to prevent the pad from bottoming out when under impact, while the inner layer 18 provides comfort and the degree of flexibility needed to conform to various parts of the human body; the end result is a combination of maximum effectiveness and comfort. The pad 10 can be made by laminating the two layers together and then shaping it by mechanically grinding it, using shaping rolls and a skiving blade. Alternatively, the pad can be made by heating the two layers and compressing them together under heat and pressure. Such manufacturing methods are known to those skilled in the art. The pad materials are closed cell foams, preferably polyolefin closed cell foams, but other materials with similar properties can also be employed. Suitable polyolefin closed cell foams are derived from low density poiyethylenes (LDPE), linear low density polyethylenes (LLDPE), medium density polyethylenes (MDPE), high density polyethylenes (HDPE), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), ethylene methyl acrylate copolymers (EMA), ethylene ionomers, polypropylene and polypropylene copolymers. These polyolefin materials are preferred because they do not absorb water or perspiration, nor support microbial growth, and are generally non-irritating and non-sensitizing to the human skin. Suitable other materials can include rubber foams derived from natural rubber, butyl rubber, polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polynorbornene, styrene-butadiene, neoprene, nitrile rubber, and related rubber materials, polyurethane foams, and plasticized polyvinylchloride (PVC) foams. Although the other materials, like the polyurethanes or rubber foams, can perform at desirable impact resistance levels, care must be taken in selecting such materials for pads to be used in direct or indirect contact with human skin. Special grades of each, known to those skilled in the art, can be formulated to inhibit the absorption of water or perspiration, to prevent microbial growth, and to prevent skin irritation and sensitization, all of which lead to user discomfort or are detrimental to the user's health.

The outer layer 16 has a density of from about 128 to about 192 kg per cubic meter (about 8 to about 12 pounds per cubic foot) with about 160 kg per cubic meter (about 10 pounds per cubic foot) being the preferred density, and the inner layer 18 has a density of from about 48 to about 80 kg per cubic meter (about 3 to about 5 pounds per cubic foot) with about 64 kg per cubic meter (about 4 pounds per cubic foot) being the preferred density. When each layer is made at the high end of its density range, maximum impact resistance results. When each layer is made at the low end of its density range, maximum comfort results. The preferred values result in a combination of significant comfort and impact resistance in one pad. Additionally, providing a top or outer high-density layer with a thickness of at least 50 percent of the overall pad thickness maximizes performance of the pad.

Comfort in wearing hip pads can be enhanced by garment design. The garment fabric can enhance breathability, particularly when combined with a pad with air flow openings. Fabrics which promote wicking of natural moisture away from the skin promote temperature regulation and comfort. "Cottonwick", manufactured by Colville Inc. of Winston Salem, North Carolina, is a particularly effective fabric for this purpose. It has a unique knit loop with polymerized silicone coating that wicks moisture into the fabric. The knit loop forms cone shaped capillaries and the silicone coating directs the moisture away from the surface of the fabric into the cones. The pads of the current invention may be permanently affixed to the garment by, for example, sewing them into pockets such that the pads cannot be removed. Pads used in such a garment therefore need to be at least hand washable with the garment, and preferably machine washable. After washing, the garment and pads must be dried. Both line drying in room temperature air and machine drying with heated air are facilitated by the open areas in the pads which promote airflow through both the garment fabric and the pads. Alternatively, the garment may have pockets which are made openable and reclosable by means of zippers, snaps, hook and pile fasteners, and the like. This allows the pads to be removed from the garment such that the garment can be washed separately if desired.

The following examples are illustrative of the invention but are not limiting thereof.

Example 1. Machined Foam Laminate Pad A multilayer pad is constructed by first die cutting a piece of MC38O0 polyethylene foam (Sentinel Products Corporation, Hyannis, Massachusetts, 02601) having a density of 64 kg per cubic meter from 9.52 mm thick sheet such that the piece has two straight sides opposite one another and parallel to one another and two curved sides opposite one another as shown in Figure I . Twelve 12.77 mm diameter holes spaced around the piece are die cut at the same time. The distance between the straight sides is about 127 mm and the distance between the curved sides measured through the center of the piece is about 139.7 mm. This first piece is the skin or wearer side of the pad.

A second piece of foam, circular in shape and about 1 14.3 mm in diameter, is die cut from 9.52 mm thick Minicell LI 000 polyethylene foam (Voltek, Lawrence, Massachusetts 01843) having a density of about 160 pounds per cubic meter. This piece also has twelve 12.77 mm diameter holes die cut at the same time and having the same spatial arrangement as in the first foam piece. This second piece is the outside of the pad away from the wearer's body.

The two foam pieces are laminated together with 3M #343 double sided adhesive tape (3M Co., St. Paul, Minnesota 55144) such that the twelve holes in each piece are aligned with one another. The laminated assembly is then mechanically machined using a cup shaped grinding wheel to provide smoothly tapering sides to the pad in all directions and to give the laminate a domed or curved cross section with the LI 000 foam residing on the outermost or convex side of the pad. This is shown schematically in Figure 2. The finished pad weighs about 15 grams and has an open area of about 12%. The maximum thickness is about 19 mm in the central areas of the pad tapering to about 6.35 mm or less around its perimeter.

The pad's ability to cushion against impact against a hard surface is measured on a surrogate hip, constructed from polyolefin and neoprene closed cell foams as well as other components, and designed to mimic both the soft tissue response and pelvic response of a human hip in a fall. The surrogate hip is dropped from a distance of about 37.5 cm such that its velocity upon impact with a horizontal steel plate is about 2.7 meters per second. The surrogate hip weighs approximately 35 kilograms and contains a surrogate femur and surrogate greater trochanter. A 5000 pound load cell (Product No. 8496-01 , GRC Instruments, Santa Barbara, California) measures the force transmitted to the surrogate greater trochanter when the surrogate hip is dropped on the steel plate. The force measured on the surrogate

trochanter when the unpadded surrogate hip is dropped and impacts the steel plate is about 6000 Newtons.

For comparison with the pads of this invention, a hip protector is removed from a SAFEHIP™ product (Sahvatex, Denmark), and mounted on the surrogate hip and held in place over the area of the surrogate greater trochanter by means of a stretch fabric covering the outer skin of the hip. When the padded surrogate hip is dropped and impacts the steel plate at 2.7 meters/second, the peak force measured on the surrogate trochanter is about 30% less than that measured with the unpadded surrogate hip.

The pad of this Example is mounted on the surrogate hip and held in place over the area of the surrogate greater trochanter by means of a stretch fabric covering the outer skin of the hip. When the padded surrogate hip is dropped and impacts the steel plate at 2.7 meters per second, the peak force measured on the surrogate trochanter is about 44% less than that measured with the unpadded surrogate hip.

Example 2. Machined Foam Laminate Pad with Scoreiines A pad identical to that described in Example 1 is constructed. This pad is then scored from the LI 000 side of the pad using an Exacto knife. The score lines are applied at angles + and - 45 degrees to the straight sides of the pads and are cut about 3/4 of the way through the total pad thickness. The resulting pad is very flexible and articulates in multiple directions. When evaluated on the surrogate hip drop tester, the peak force measured on the surrogate trochanter is about 43% less than that measured on the unpadded surrogate hip. Thus the score lines have virtually no effect on the force reducing ability of the pad.

Example 3. Compression Molded Pad A 152.4 mm by 152.4 mm piece of MC3800 foam 9.52 mm thick is cut from a larger sheet. A second foam piece circular in shape and having a diameter of 101.6 mm and a thickness of 15. 8 mm is cut from a sheet of L1000 foam. The L1000 is laminated to the MC3800 with 3M#343 adhesive tape such that the centers of the two pieces are aligned. The laminate is placed in a convection oven and heated at 350 degrees F for 3 minutes. The laminate is then removed from the oven and immediately placed between the platens of an aluminum compression mold. When closed, the mold creates a crescent shaped cavity designed to provide a maximum thickness in the central area of the pad of about 19 mm, a smooth transition between the two foams, and a tapered cross section. The laminate is compressed for 30 seconds at a pressure of 1900 pounds per square inch. Upon removing the laminate from the mold, a rule die is used to die cut the pad to its final shape as well as create twelve 12.77 mm diameter holes in the same spatial arrangements as in Examples 1 and 2 and shown in Figure 1. The resulting pad weighs about 21 grams. When tested on the surrogate hip drop tester at an impact velocity of 2.7 meters per second, the peak force measured on the surrogate trochanter is about 40% less than that measured on the unpadded surrogate hip.

To determine if the pad is stable to machine washing and drying, several pads were placed in a Norge Heavy Duty washing machine and put through 3 normal wash cycles using Liquid Tide detergent. The water temperature was set on hot which is about 120 degrees Fahrenheit on this machine. Following the 3 wash cycles, the pads were placed in a Sears Kenmore Dryer and dried for 2 hours at about 180 degrees Fahrenheit, much longer than the actual time needed to dry them. After washing and drying as described, the pads showed no visible signs of deterioration.

Example 4. Compression Molded Pad with Scoreiines A pad identical to that described in Example 3 is constructed. This pad is then scored from the LI 000 side of the pad using an Exacto knife. The score lines are placed in the same pattern as described in Example 2 and are also cut about 3/4 of the way through the pad. When evaluated on the surrogate hip drop tester, the peak force measured on the surrogate trochanter is about 43% less than that measured on the unpadded surrogate hip.

Example 5. Rectangular Compression Molded Pad A piece of MC3800 foam, nominally 127.0 wide and 177.8 mm long and 9.52 mm thick and having fifteen 25.4 mm diameter holes as shown in Figure 3 is die cut from a larger sheet. A second piece of foam, also 127.0 mm by 177.8 mm and also having fifteen 25.4 mm diameter holes is cut from a 15.8 mm thick sheet of L1000 foam. The two foam pieces are laminated together with the fifteen holes aligned using 3M #343 adhesive tape. The laminate is placed in a convection oven and heated at 350 degrees F for 3 minutes. The laminate is then removed from the oven and immediately placed between the platens of an aluminum compression mold with the LI 000 side facing the upper or concave platen and the MC3800 side facing the lower or convex platen. When closed, the mold creates a crescent- shaped cavity designed to provide a maximum thickness in the central area of the pad of about 19 mm, and edges tapered to 6.35 mm or less around the pad perimeter. The laminate

is compressed for about 30 seconds at a pressure of about 1900 pounds per square inch. The completed pad weighs about 41 grams and has about 33 % open area.

When evaluated on the surrogate hip drop tester, at a velocity of about 2.7 meters per second, the peak force on the surrogate trochanter is about 46% less than that measured on the unpadded surrogate hip.

Example 6. Rectangular Pad with High Open Area and Scoreiines

A pad identical to that described in Example 5 is constructed. This pad is then scored from the LI 000 side of the pad using an Exacto knife. The score lines are placed in the same pattern as shown in Figure 3 and are also cut about 3/4 of the way through the pad. When evaluated on the surrogate hip drop tester, the peak force measured on the surrogate trochanter is about 45 % less than that measured on the unpadded surrogate hip. Again, the presence of the scoreiines does not significantly impact the force reducing ability of the pad.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims (7)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A protective pad for protecting a predefined area of a human body against impact, the pad having a surface and a thickness, the pad characterized by a layer of relatively high density closed-cell polymer foam and a layer of relatively low density closed-cell polymer foam, the layers being fixed together to provide a relatively lightweight pad providing relatively high resistance to impact forces and relative comfort to the user.

2. A protective pad for protecting a predefined area of a human body against impact, the pad having a surface and a thickness, the pad characterized by a plurality of score lines across the surface and partially through the thickness so as to provide substantial flexibility and conformability to the area of the human body covered by the pad.

3. The pad according to Claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of score lines across the surface and partially through the thickness so as to provide substantial flexibility and conformability to the area of the human body covered by the pad, while maintaining significant resistance to impact forces.

4. The pad according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a layer of high density closed-cell polymer foam having a density of preferably from 128 to 192 kilograms per cubic meter, and a layer of low density closed-cell polymer foam having a density of preferably from 48 to 80 kilograms per cubic meter, the layers being fixed together to provide a relatively lightweight pad providing relatively high resistance to impact forces and relative comfort to the user.

5. The pad according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the density of the high density closed-cell polymer foam is most preferably 160, and the density of the low density closed- cell polymer foam is most preferably 64 kilograms per cubic meter.

6. The pad according to any one of die preceding claims, further comprising a plurality of open areas on the surface and completely through the thickness so as to provide for breathability and dissipation of heat from the area of the human body covered by the pad, while maintaining significant resistance to impact forces.

7. The pad according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a garment attached to the pad, the garment comprising a fabric which promotes wicking of perspiration away from the body.