TW201737977A - Two-piece articulating chest protector with stretchable hinge - Google Patents

Abstract

A chest protector for accommodating a female figure may include an upper portion sized to at least partially surround a user's bust region and having a neck opening shaped to receive a user's neck region. The chest protector may further include a lower portion sized to at least partially surround a user's abdominal region. A flexible element may connect the upper and lower portions to allow the upper portion to articulate with respect to the lower portion. The upper portion may include a breast covering section extending in an anterior direction to form a breast volume for accommodating the user's breasts or breast region. The breast volume may be formed at least in part by connecting a pair of edges positioned on opposing lateral sides of the upper portion. Optionally, the upper portion may overlap the lower portion. The chest protector may be formed from resilient foam or other materials.

Description

Two-piece articulated chest protector with stretchable hinge

The invention relates to a two piece articulated chest protector having a stretchable hinge.

Existing chest and/or torso protection for female athletes (such as catchers engaged in softball, baseball, or other sports or activities) tends to be flat or apron-like and does not conform to a variety of female poses. Therefore, existing chest and/or torso protection for female catchers may not be accurately adapted to various female body shapes, or may not be able to move with female players in an efficient manner, resulting in discomfort, obstruction of movement or reduced safety. Sex.

A chest protector for accommodating a female body can include an upper portion sized to at least partially surround a chest region of the user and having a neck opening shaped to receive a neck region of the user. The chest protector can also include a lower portion sized to at least partially surround the abdominal region of the user. A flexible element can join the upper and lower portions to allow the upper portion to articulate relative to the lower portion. The upper portion can include a breast covering portion extending in a forward direction from the upper portion to form a breast volume for receiving a breast or breast region of the user. The breast volume can be formed at least in part by joining a pair of edges positioned on opposite sides of the upper portion. Alternatively, the upper portion may overlap the lower portion. The chest protector can be formed from a resilient foam or other material. Other features and advantages will appear below. The features described above may be used singly or together, or various combinations of one or more of these features may be used.

The present technical solution relates to a two-piece articulated chest protector having a stretchable hinge and a volume for receiving a breast or breast area of a user. Various embodiments of the present technical solution will now be described. The following description provides specific details for a complete understanding and implementation of the description of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without numerous details. In addition, some well-known structures or functions may not be shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the related description of the various embodiments. Accordingly, the present technical solution may include other embodiments having additional elements or elements that are not described below with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6 (the examples of which are illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6 of the present technical solution).

The terms used in the following description are intended to be interpreted in the broadest reasonable manner of the term, even if the term is used in conjunction with the detailed description of certain specific embodiments of the present invention. Certain terms may be emphasized even hereinafter; however, any term that is intended to be interpreted in any limited manner is thus disclosed and specifically defined in the [section] section.

Where the context allows, singular or plural terms may also include plural or singular terms, respectively. In addition, the use of "or" in such a list is intended to be construed as encompassing, unless the word "or" is specifically defined as a single item that excludes other items in the list of two or more items. (a) any single item in the list, (b) all items in the list or (c) any combination of items in the list. In addition, unless otherwise stated, the terms "attach" or "connected" are intended to encompass the connection between the integral and physically separate elements.

Specific details of several embodiments of the present technical solutions are described herein with reference to baseball or softball. The present technical solution can also be applied to other sports or industries when the disclosed features are desired. The general aspect of a chest or torso protection device (such as a protective material or a strap or buckle for securing the device to a user) can be described herein with reduced detail to avoid obscuring the technical solution of the present application. . In various embodiments, various straps, buckles, or other devices can be used to secure the present solution to the user's body. Additionally, in various embodiments, a variety of materials can be used.

FIG. 1 illustrates a basic style 100 for a chest protector in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. The basic style 100 can include a chest or upper portion 110 and an abdomen or lower portion 120. In this context, the neck region of the user is received in the neck region 125 and the user's arm can be received adjacent the arm and shoulder region 127. As will be seen in the figures below, the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 are hinged relative to each other. Each of the left and right sides of the upper portion 110 can include a notched portion 130 having an upper notch edge 140 and a lower notch edge 150.

2 illustrates a front view of an at least partially assembled chest protector 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology. In the assembled form, each upper notch edge 140 is joined to the corresponding lower notch edge 150 by stitching, adhesive, or another suitable attachment means. Thus, in some embodiments, the notch portion 130 (which is shown in FIG. 1) can be closed, the final geometry of which may result in the breast covering portion 210 from the flat plane of the chest protector 200 Extrapolate and extend to form an internal breast volume adapted to receive (e.g., support or contain) a breast or breast area of the user. Although in various embodiments, the breast covering portion 210 can have a variety of shapes, sizes, or positions (which can be determined in part by the size and shape of the notched portion 130 shown in FIG. 1), generally the breast is indicated Cover portion 210 is within and adjacent to the dashed line indicated by symbol 210 in FIG. Thus, the chest protector 200 can be sized and shaped to accommodate a variety of bust or chest sizes.

The upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 are joined together by a flexible connecting portion 220 that may be formed from a fabric, an elastic mesh, or another suitable flexible or stretchable material to be in the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120. Form a retractable hinge connection. While the flexible connection portion 220 is illustrated as extending through the entire interface between the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120, in some embodiments, the flexible connection portion 220 can extend only through a portion of the interface. For example, in some embodiments, the flexible connecting portion 220 can extend only through a portion of the interface adjacent to the front abdominal region of the user, and can be in one or more locations (eg, adjacent to the chest protector 200) The upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 are directly joined in the side edge of the kidney region of the person. The flexible attachment portion 220 allows the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 to be hingedly hinged relative to one another.

In some embodiments, one or both of the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 may be formed from a base layer comprising a semi-flexible material such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam or another A suitable material that provides impact protection and structural support to maintain shape while maintaining flexibility. In some embodiments, upper portion 110 and lower portion 120 can each be continuous or unitary; while in other embodiments, upper portion 110 and lower portion 120 can be formed from a plurality of sheets or segments, the plurality of sheets or The segments are stitched, glued or otherwise suitably attached together. In some embodiments, one or both of the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 can include a plurality of protection blocks or segments 230 that are mounted on the respective base layers of the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120. Or on the chip. The protective segment 230 can comprise a protective foaming material, a protective sheet or sheet (for example, plastic or other suitably rigid material) or other material suitable for providing impact protection. In some embodiments, some or all of the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 may comprise a flexible mesh material or an outer covering of the absorbent material.

The left kidney and right kidney portions 240 of the lower portion 120 can be sized and positioned to wrap and shield the user's skewed region. The left shoulder and right shoulder cover portion 250 on the upper portion 110 can be sized and positioned to cover and shield the user's shoulder or clavicle region. The shoulder covering portion 250 can be strip-shaped, and the shoulder covering portions 250 can be stuffed or constructed similarly to the other portions of the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120. In use, the user's arms extend from the inside of each of the shoulder covering portions 250 (for example, as shown in FIG. 3).

Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the chest protector 200 when worn on a user. As additionally described above in the context of Fig. 2, the internal volume in the breast covering portion 210 is created by the connecting notch edge 140 and the notch edge 150 to push the front portion of the upper portion 110 forwardly toward The user's breast or breast area is open in a concave shape. Thus, the volume in the breast-covered portion 210 is positioned to receive the user's breast, thereby providing improved fit, particularly for female users. Various arrangements of suitable belts, buckles or connectors can be implemented to secure the chest protector 200 to the user.

4 illustrates a front view of a suitable arrangement 300 of straps, straps, and buckles for securing the chest protector 200 to a user. In an embodiment of the present technical solution, the belt and buckle arrangement 300 can include a shoulder belt 410 mounted on the shoulder covering portion 250 and coupled to the waist belt 420, which can be worn around the user's waist. And one or more sliding buckles 430 or other suitable fastening tools can be used to tighten. The waist belt 420 can be removably or permanently secured to the kidney portion 240 using an interface including a suitable attachment, such as one or more sets of snaps, buckles, or VELCRO hook and loop fasteners. 4 also illustrates an optional shoulder pad or shoulder cup 440 that is coupled to or integral with the upper portion 110 of the chest protector 200. The shoulder cup 440 provides additional protection to the shoulder area of the user. The removable neck pad and throat shield 460 can be positioned over the chest protector 200 to increase protection of the user's neck region. The neck pad and throat shield 460 can be formed from a foamed material or another cushioning material and can be used with a snap, hook and loop fastener (for example, VELCRO) or another suitable fastener. A pad and throat shield 460 is attached to the chest protector 200.

Figure 5 illustrates a cross-sectional schematic view of the interface between upper portion 110, lower portion 120, and flexible connecting portion 220 (typically through line A-A in Figure 4). The upper portion 110 can overlap the lower portion 120 such that a portion of the lower portion 120 is positioned between the upper portion 110 and the inner region of the chest protector or the user side 500. In other embodiments, the lower portion 120 can overlap the upper portion 110 such that a portion of the upper portion 110 is positioned between the lower portion 120 and the user side 500. The connecting portion 220 can be stitched (for example, using stitching 505), glued, or otherwise suitably attached to each of the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120, and the connecting portion 220 can be a chest protector 200 The only connection between the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 in the fixed area. For example, in some embodiments, the connecting portion 220 is the only connection between the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 of the assembled chest protector 200. Thus, when the connecting portion 220 is bent, extended, folded, or otherwise adjusted for movement, the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 can be hinged relative to each other while maintaining the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 in an overlapping arrangement to protect the user. . In some embodiments, the joint 510 can be positioned at the edge of each of the upper portion 110 and the lower portion 120 to protect any stitched or foamed material ends from abrasion. Such engagement can be positioned around other suitable edges of the chest protector.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a chest protector 600 in accordance with another embodiment of the present technology. The chest protector 600 illustrated in Figure 6 can be similar in many aspects to the chest protector 200 illustrated in Figures 1-5. For example, the chest protector 600 illustrated in FIG. 6 can have an upper portion 610, a lower portion 620, and a flexible connecting portion 630 that allows for overlapping of the hinge between the upper portion 610 and the lower portion 620. In an embodiment, the attachment segment 640 can be positioned in the notch portion 130 (instead of the manner in which the upper notch edge 140 and the lower notch edge 150 are directly joined as described above in connection with Figures 2 and 3). The connecting segment 640 can be sized to resist allowing the chest protector 600 to be flat and can cause the breast covering portion 210 to extend outwardly from the chest protector 600 to form an internal breast volume that is suitable for example It is similar to the manner in which the internal breast volume described above with respect to Figures 2 and 3 accommodates the breast or breast area of the user. Thus, the connecting segment 640 provides an alternative way of creating an internal breast volume in the breast covering portion 210. The connecting segment 640 can be formed from a suitable flexible and resilient material such as an elastic mesh, a stretchable foaming material, or other material.

The techniques disclosed herein provide a chest or torso protector that surrounds the contours of a female posture to provide improved fit (for example, optimal fit) and allows Improved protection is also provided for movement, bending or articulation during use. The technology also provides protection for a wide range of torso and chest proportions and other body sizes to improve the protection and comfort of various body shapes, sizes, postures or body shapes across female athletes. While the advantages and descriptions described herein relate to female athletes, the present technology and its advantages can also be applied to male chest and/or torso protection devices.

It will be understood that the specific embodiments of the disclosed technology have been described for the purpose of illustration, but various modifications may be made without departing from the art, and elements of some embodiments may be interchangeable with elements of other embodiments. . For example, in some embodiments, a chest protector in accordance with the present technology can include various straps, buckles or hook and loop fasteners (for example, VELCRO) and arrangements for securing the elements to the user. The strap tissue formed from the filler material secures the strap against the back of the user. The absorbent material can be included in a strategic location for the comfort of the user.

In addition, while advantages associated with the embodiments have been described in the context of certain embodiments of the present disclosure, other embodiments may exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments must exhibit this Class advantages can fall within the scope of this technology. Accordingly, the present invention and related art may include other embodiments that are not explicitly shown or described herein, and the invention is not limited by the scope of the appended claims.

100‧‧‧Basic pattern 110‧‧ ‧ chest or upper part 120‧ ‧ abdomen or lower part 125 ‧ ‧ neck area 127 ‧ ‧ shoulder area 130 ‧ ‧ notch part 140 ‧ ‧ upper notch Edge 150‧‧ ‧ Lower notch edge 200‧‧ ‧ Chest protector 210‧‧ ‧ Breast covered part 220‧‧‧ Flexible connection part 230‧‧‧ Fragment 240‧‧‧ Left kidney and right kidney part 250‧‧‧ Left shoulder Department and right shoulder cover part 300‧‧‧Arrangement 410‧‧‧Shoulder belt 420‧‧‧Waist belt 430‧‧Sliding buckle 440‧‧‧Shoulder cup 460‧‧‧Neck pad and throat guard Cover 500‧‧‧User side 505‧‧‧Sewing 510‧‧ Engage 600‧‧‧Breast protector 610‧‧‧Part 620‧‧‧Part 630‧‧‧Flexible connection part 640‧‧‧Connecting fragment

In the drawings, the same component symbols indicate the same elements throughout the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a basic pattern for a chest protector in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

2 illustrates a front view of an at least partially assembled chest protector in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the chest protector of Figure 2 when worn on a user.

4 illustrates a front view of an arrangement of a belt and a buckle for securing a chest protector to a user in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

5 illustrates a cross-sectional schematic view of an interface between an upper portion, a lower portion, and a flexible connecting portion (generally passing through line A-A in FIG. 4) of the chest protector in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology.

Figure 6 illustrates a perspective view of a chest protector in accordance with another embodiment of the present technology.

Domestic deposit information (please note according to the order of the depository, date, number)

Foreign deposit information (please note in the order of country, organization, date, number)

110‧‧‧ chest or upper part

120‧‧‧Abdomen or lower part

125‧‧‧ neck area

127‧‧‧Shoulder area

140‧‧‧Upper notch edge

150‧‧‧ under the notch edge

200‧‧‧Brond protector

210‧‧‧ Breast Coverage

220‧‧‧Flexible connection

230‧‧‧frag

240‧‧‧left kidney and right kidney

250‧‧‧left shoulder and right shoulder cover

Claims (20)

A chest protector comprising: an upper portion sized to at least partially surround a chest region of a user and having a neck opening shaped to receive a neck region of a user a lower portion, the lower portion being sized to at least partially surround a user's abdominal region; and a flexible element connecting the upper portion and the lower portion to allow the upper portion to be hinged relative to the lower portion Wherein the upper portion includes a breast covering portion extending from the upper portion in a forward direction and forming a breast volume for receiving a breast region, the breast volume being at least partially formed by two pairs of connected edges Each pair of connected edges is positioned on an opposite side of the upper portion. A chest protector according to claim 1, wherein a lower portion of one of the upper portions overlaps an upper portion of the lower portion. The chest protector of claim 2, wherein the upper portion of the lower portion is positioned between an inner side of the chest protector and the lower portion of the upper portion. A chest protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the edges of each pair of connected edges are directly joined together. The chest protector of claim 1, wherein the edges of each pair of connected edges are joined together by an intermediate element. The chest protector of claim 1, wherein the upper portion and the lower portion are each formed by a plurality of segments. A chest protector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flexible element extends along a full lateral width of one of the chest protectors. The chest protector of claim 1, wherein the upper portion or the lower portion comprises a foam material. A chest protector comprising: a chest portion positioned to at least partially surround a chest region of a user; and an abdominal portion movably attached to the chest portion; wherein the breast portion A breast volume extending from the chest protector is included, the breast volume being formed by joining edges of laterally opposing recesses in the breast portion. The chest protector of claim 9, further comprising a flexible element connecting the chest portion and the abdomen portion. The chest protector of claim 9, wherein the chest portion partially overlaps the abdomen. The chest protector of claim 9, wherein the edges of one of the notches are joined together by an intermediate element. The chest protector of claim 9, wherein at least one of the chest portion and the abdominal portion is formed by a plurality of segments. The chest protector of claim 9, further comprising a belt and at least one buckle. The chest protector of claim 9, wherein the breast portion and the abdomen portion comprise a resilient foam. A chest protector comprising: a chest portion positioned to at least partially surround a chest region of a user and having a breast covering portion extending in a forward direction from the chest portion to form a breast volume; An abdominal portion positioned to at least partially surround a user's abdominal region; and a flexible element connecting the breast portion and the abdominal portion and positioned to allow the breast portion and the abdominal portion to be opposite Hinged to each other. The chest protector of claim 16, wherein the chest protector comprises a pair of laterally opposed recesses, each recess having a pair of opposing edges, and each pair of opposite edges are coupled together to cause the breast to cover The portion has a concave shape containing the breast volume. The chest protector of claim 16, wherein the breast portion at least partially overlaps the abdomen portion. The chest protector of claim 16, wherein the breast portion is formed by a plurality of segments. The chest protector of claim 19, wherein at least one of the segments carries a protective sheet or foam block.