WO2019215434A1

WO2019215434A1 - A protective apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2019215434A1
Application number: PCT/GB2019/051253
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul Giles
Original assignee: Paul Giles
Priority date: 2018-05-08
Filing date: 2019-05-07
Publication date: 2019-11-14
Also published as: GB2573749A; GB201807494D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a protective apparatus for protecting a body part of a wearer from impact. The protective apparatus (1) comprises a protective member (2) configured to absorb an impact, the protective member comprising an outer shell (11) and a padding layer (21). The outer shell has an outer surface (12) that faces away from a body part to be protected and an inner surface (13) that faces a body part to be protected, during use. The protective apparatus further comprises a spacing member (41) configured to lie against a body part to be protected and space a body part to be protected from the inner surface (23) of the padding layer to provide an impact buffer zone (42) between the padding layer and the spacing member. The spacing member is formed from a resiliently deformable mesh-like material configured to allow air to pass freely between the impact buffer zone and a body part to be protected.

Description

A PROTECTIVE APPARATUS

Field

This disclosure relates to a protective apparatus. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a protective apparatus for protecting a body part of a person, especially a participant in a contact sport.

Background

It is known that in contact sports, such as football and hockey, participants often require protective apparatus, either clothing or equipment, to reduce the severity of impacts upon their bodies. Equipment, such as guards or pads, is often worn by players to reduce the impact of the feet or sticks of other players when the two players collide. An example of such a protective apparatus is a shin guard. A shin guard is configured to lie in direct contact with a player’s lower leg and is often held against the player’s leg by a sock worn over the shin guard or optionally by straps which are tensioned around the player’s leg. In either case, the shin guard is in contact with most of the front, and sometimes side, portions of the player’s leg. Such a shin guard can be uncomfortable to wear for prolonged periods of time, i.e. the duration of a football match, because the shin guard is pressed into the player’s leg and prevents air flow to the player’s skin under the shin guard. As a result, a player’s leg can become extremely sweaty and uncomfortable and the shin guard becomes smelly and unhygienic. Statement of Invention

It is the object of the invention to provide an improved protective apparatus.

According to the present invention, there is provided a shin guard having a longitudinal axis (A). The shin guard comprises an outer shell comprising a substantially rigid material having an outer surface that faces away from said axis (A) and a concave inner surface that is curved about said axis (A) (confronting said axis (A)). The outer shell comprises a top edge and a bottom edge spaced apart along said axis (A). The outer shell further comprises a first side edge and a second side edge each extending between the top edge and the bottom edge. The shin guard may comprise a padding layer having an outer surface attached to the inner surface of the outer shell and an inner surface that confronts the longitudinal axis (A). The padding layer comprises a top edge and a bottom edge spaced apart along said axis (A). The padding layer further comprises a first side edge and a second side edge each extending between the top edge and the bottom edge.

The shin guard comprises a spacing member comprising a resiliently deformable material having a top edge and a bottom edge. The spacing member is anchored to and extends between said first side edge and said second side edge of the outer shell or said first side edge and said second side edge of the padding layer. The spacing member is spaced apart from the inner surface by a gap (G).

The padding layer may comprise a deformable material, particularly a resiliently deformable material.

The shin guard may comprise a first opening bound by the top edges and a second opening bound by the bottom edges.

The outer shell may comprise a plurality of perforations extending through said outer shell. Each of the said plurality of perforations may comprise a first opening in the outer surface and a second opening in the inner surface.

The padding layer may comprise a plurality of perforations extending through said padding layer. Each of the said plurality of perforations may comprise a first opening in the outer surface and a second opening in the inner surface.

The perforations in each of the outer shell and padding layer may be aligned to provide a plurality of channels extending through said outer shell and padding layer.

Each of the said plurality of channels may comprise an inlet with a first diameter, an outlet with a second diameter and a throat with a third diameter. The third diameter, preferably, being smaller than each of the first and second diameters.

The padding layer may comprise a plurality of pathways extending between the outer surface and the inner surface such as to allow for the transmission of air or moisture. The padding layer may comprise an open cellular structure such as to allow for the transmission or air or moisture.

The padding layer may comprise two or more layers, a first layer having an outer surface and an inner surface and a second layer having an outer surface and an inner surface. Preferably, the outer surface is attached to the inner surface, the inner surface is attached to the outer surface, and the inner surface confronts the longitudinal axis (A). Optionally, the first layer may comprise a first material and the second layer may comprise a second material. The first material may be more rigid than the second material.

The spacing member may comprise an elastic open mesh structure.

The shin guard may comprise an attachment means having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may comprise a strap and a first fastener. The second portion may comprise a second fastener.

Optionally, the first portion may comprise a strap having a first end and a second end whereby the first end is anchored to a side edge and the second end is releasably attachable to the second portion, and the second portion is attached to the outer surface of the outer shell on an opposite side edge.

Optionally, the first portion may comprise a strap having a first end and a second end whereby the first end is anchored to the outer surface and the second end is releasably attachable to the second portion, and the second portion is attached to a side edge.

The fasteners may comprise Velcro^® strips (hook-and-loop fastening strips).

The first portion may comprise an elasticated strap. The second portion may comprise an elasticated strap.

The shin guard may comprise a heel strap.

According to the present invention, there is provided a sock comprising a pouch having an open end for receiving the shin guard. There is also provided a sock comprising a pouch having an open end for receiving the shin guard, the pouch having a rear wall that forms the spacing member.

According to the present invention, there is provided a protective apparatus for protecting a body part of a wearer from impact. The protective apparatus comprises a protective member configured to absorb an impact, the protective member comprising an outer shell and a padding layer, wherein the outer shell has an outer surface that faces away from a body part to be protected and an inner surface that faces a body part to be protected, during use, the protective apparatus further comprising a spacing member configured to lie against a body part to be protected and space a body part to be protected from the inner surface of the padding layer to provide an impact buffer zone between the padding layer and the spacing member, wherein the spacing member is formed from a resiliently deformable mesh-like material configured to allow air to pass freely between the impact buffer zone and a body part to be protected.

The padding layer may have an outer surface which is configured to completely cover the inner surface of the outer shell and may be attached thereto such that the entire inner surface of the outer shell is in contact with the padding layer.

The outer shell and padding layer may have an arcuate profile, a body part receiving space being defined between the edges of the padding layer.

The protective apparatus may comprise an opening to the body part receiving space defined in a plane extending between the opposing side edges of the padding layer.

The spacing member may extend under tension in the plane extending between opposing side edges of the padding layer such that it extends across an opening to the body part receiving space.

The protective member may comprise the spacing member.

The spacing member may be attached to the outer shell or the padding layer.

The spacing member may be continuous and at least partially encompass the outer shell and/or padding layer.

The outer shell and padding layer may comprise slots through which the spacing member extends such that the impact buffer zone is smaller than the body part receiving space when the apparatus is not in use.

The protective apparatus may further comprise a sleeve having a first section configured to receive a body part to be protected and a second section comprising a pouch configured to receive the protective member. A rear wall of the pouch may form the spacing member.

The spacing member may extend over an area substantially equal to the frontal area of the protective member from proximate a top edge of the outer shell to proximate a bottom edge of the outer shell.

The protective apparatus may further comprise an attachment means configured to secure the protective member to a body part to be protected.

The protective apparatus may further comprise an auxiliary protection element configured to protect an adjacent body part to the body part to be protected by the protection member.

The outer shell and the padding layer may comprise overlapping perforations which are configured to allow air flow from outside the protective member into the body part receiving space.

The padding layer may comprise a peripheral region which extends beyond the edges of the outer shell.

The protective apparatus may be a shin guard.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Brief Description of Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front view of a first embodiment of a protective apparatus;

Figure 2 shows a rear view of the protective apparatus shown in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3, shows a schematic rear perspective view of the protective apparatus shown in Figurel with an ankle strap omitted;

Figure 4 shows a schematic top-down cross-sectional view of the protective apparatus shown in Figure 1 with the ankle strap omitted;

Figure 5 shows a schematic top-down cross-sectional view of the protective apparatus shown in Figure 1 during use;

Figure 6 shows a front perspective view of a second embodiment of a protective apparatus;

Figure 7 shows a schematic top-down cross-sectional view of the protective apparatus shown in Figure 6; and

Figure 8 shows a schematic top-down cross-sectional view of the protective apparatus shown in Figure 6 during use; Figure 9 shows show a schematic rear perspective view of a third embodiment of the protective apparatus shown in Figure 1 comprising a multi-layered padding layer;

Figure 10 shows a schematic top-down cross-sectional view of the protective apparatus shown in Figure 9;

Figure 1 1 shows a schematic rear perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the protective apparatus shown in Figure 1 with the padding layer omitted;

Figure 12 shows a schematic top-down cross-sectional view of the protective apparatus shown in Figure 1 1 ; Detailed Description

Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2, front and rear views of a first embodiment of a protective apparatus 1 for protecting a wearer’s body part from impacts are shown. The embodiment shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 can be used to specifically protect a wearer’s lower leg. The protective apparatus 1 comprises a protective member 2. The protective member 2 is configured to cover a part of a wearer’s body that is vulnerable to impact, such as a wearer’s shin or forearm. However, it will be understood that such a protective member 2 may be configured and worn to protect a wearer’s thigh, upper arm, or chest. The protective member 2 of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 is a shin guard 1 a. Such a protective member 2 is worn on the front of a wearer’s lower leg to protect the tibia from impacts. The protective member 2 may be configured to be worn on a wearer’s right leg or a wearer’s left leg or alternatively may be configured so that it can be worn on either leg, as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

The present embodiment of the protective apparatus 1 further comprises an auxiliary protection element 3 connected to the bottom of the protective member 2. In the present embodiment, the auxiliary protection element 3 comprises an ankle protector 6, a supporting sleeve 4 which at least partially surrounds a wearer’s ankle, and a heel strap 5. The heel strap 5 is formed from an elastic material and connects the two opposing sides of the supporting sleeve 4 in order to help keep the main protective member 2 in the correct position on a wearer’s shin. Optionally, the heel strap 5 may comprise a supporting sleeve 4. The supporting sleeve 4 comprises at least one protective pad 6 configured to be located over the lateral and/or medial malleolus, i.e. ankle bones. In some embodiments, the heel strap 5 may be omitted and the supporting sleeve 4 may extend under a wearer’s heel so that the two ends join.

However, as shown most clearly in Figure 3, the protection apparatus 1 comprising the auxiliary protection element 3 is optional.

As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 3, the protective member 2 of the protective apparatus 1 comprises an outer shell 1 1. The outer shell 1 1 forms the front of the protective member 2. The outer shell 1 1 is formed by at least one panel 12a and has an outer surface 12 which faces away from a body part of a wearer that is to be protected and an opposing inner surface 13, shown in dashed lines in Figure 2, which faces said body part. The outer shell 1 1 has a top edge 14, a bottom edge 15, and two opposing side edges 16, 17.

In an embodiment in which the protective apparatus 1 is a shin guard, the top edge 14 is proximate a wearer’s knee and the bottom edge 15 is proximate a wearer’s ankle when the protective apparatus 1 is worn correctly. In an embodiment in which the protective apparatus 1 is a forearm guard, the top edge 14 is proximate a wearer’s elbow and the bottom edge is proximate a wearer’s wrist when the protective apparatus 1 is worn correctly.

In some embodiments, the outer shell 1 1 may be formed by a plurality of panels which are joined, for example, pivotably, along their edges. In such a case, the edges 14, 15, 16, 17 of the outer shell 1 1 may be formed by the individual edges of each of the panels.

The outer shell 1 1 has a longitudinal axis (A). The longitudinal axis (A) of the protective member 2 is generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the part of the body that it is configured to protect when the protective apparatus 1 is worn 1. For example, the longitudinal axis (A) of the protective member 2 will be generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of a wearer’s shin when the protective apparatus 1 worn is a shin guard. Alternatively, the longitudinal axis (A) of the protective member 2 will be generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of a wearer’s forearm when the protective apparatus 1 worn is a lower arm guard.

The outer shell 1 1 has an arcuate profile configured to generally match the profile of a wearer’s body part to be protected, for example, but not limited to, a shin or forearm. That is, the outer shell 1 1 is curved about (and confronts) the longitudinal axis (A). A central portion 18 of the outer surface 12 of the outer shell 1 1 is forward of the two opposing sides 16, 17 of the outer shell 1 1 such that the outer surface 12 of the outer shell 1 1 has a generally convex surface and the inner surface 13 of the outer shell 11 has a generally concave surface. The edges 14, 15, 16, 17 of the outer shell 1 1 may be rounded, rolled, or curved. As a result, the edges 14, 15, 16, 17 of the outer shell 1 1 are configured to cause less discomfort to a wearer during an impact because any contact between the edges 14, 15, 16, 17 and the body part to be protected is spread over a larger contact area than just point edges. Thus, the outer shell 1 1 is prevented from“digging-in” to a body part to be protected.

The outer shell 1 1 is configured to be substantially rigid and is configured to absorb an impact on its outer surface 12. The outer shell 1 1 may be formed from an impact resistant material, such as, for example, but not limited to: carbon fibre, fibreglass, plastic, polyethylene terephthalate, and/or rubber.

The outer shell 1 1 of the protective member 2 may further comprise a perforation 19 which is configured to improve the airflow from outside the protective member 2, on the outside of the protective apparatus 1 , to inside the protective member 2, proximate a body part of the wearer to be protected. The perforation 19 extends through the outer shell 1 1 from the outer surface 12 to the inner surface 13. In the present embodiment, the axis of the perforation 19 extends normally to a plane tangent to the outer surface 12 of the protective member 2 where the perforation 19 is located. Alternatively, the perforation 19 may extend at an angle other than normal to the plane tangent to the outer surface 12 of the protective member 2 where the perforation is located.

The perforation 19 may be any shape, for example, but not limited to: circular, triangular, oval, or slotted. Preferably, there is a plurality of perforations 19 provided in the outer shell 1 1 to further improve the airflow through the outer shell 1 1 of the protective member 2 without compromising the substantial rigidity of the protective member 2 or its plastic deformation or failure limit.

Each of the said plurality of perforations 19 extending through the outer shell 1 1 may comprise a first opening 19a in the outer surface 12 and a second opening 19b in the inner surface 13. The protective member 2 further comprises a padding layer 21 which is configured to help absorb an impact made on the outer surface 12 of the outer shell 1 1. The padding layer 21 has a similar profile to the outer shell 1 1. That is, the padding layer 21 is arcuate about the longitudinal axis (A) of the protective member 2. The padding layer 21 comprises an outer surface 22 which has a convex profile and an inner surface 23 which has a concave profile.

The padding layer 21 is at least as big as the outer shell 1 1 and in some embodiments may be slightly larger, as shown in Figurel and Figure 3. Therefore, a peripheral region 24 of the padding layer 21 may extends beyond the edges 14, 15, 16, 17 of the outer shell 11. That is, in one embodiment, the distance between a top edge 25 and a bottom edge 26 of the padding layer 21 is greater than the distance between the top and bottom edges 14, 15 of the outer shell 1 1 and the distance between opposing side edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21 may be greater than the distance between the opposing side edges 16, 17 of the outer shell 1 1. The distance may be straight line distance or the distance along the arcuate profile of the outer shell 1 1 and padding layer 21. This helps to prevent the edges 14, 15, 16, 17 of the outer shell 1 1 digging into a body part of a wearer that is to be protected when an impact occurs on the protective member 2.

Furthermore, the padding layer 21 is configured to completely cover the inner surface 13 of the outer shell 1 1. The padding layer 21 may be configured such that the outer shell 1 1 cannot come into contact with a body part of a wearer that is to be protected even if there is a large impact on the outer shell 1 1. Thus, the impact cannot be directly transferred from the outer shell 1 1 to a body part and must instead be transferred through the padding layer 21 which helps to mitigate the force from the impact by deforming under the load and dissipating the energy, as will be described in more detail hereinafter. As a result, the padding layer 21 provides a cushioning layer when in contact with the body part to be protected. The padding layer 21 may be formed from a material such as, for example, but not limited to, a foamed material. Therefore, the padding layer (21) may comprise a deformable material, particularly a resiliently deformable material.

As previously mentioned, the outer surface 22 of the padding layer 21 is connected to the inner surface 13 of the outer shell 1 1. That is, the outer surface 22 of the padding layer 21 , except for the peripheral region 24 of the padding layer 21 , contacts the entire inner surface 13 of the outer shell 1 1. Therefore, the arcuate profile of the padding layer 21 is substantially the same as the arcuate profile of the outer shell 1 1. A body part receiving space 31 is defined between the edges 25, 26, 27, 28, particularly the opposing side edges 27, 28, of the padding layer 21. An opening 32 to the body part receiving space 31 is defined in a plane which extends between the opposing side edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21. Thus, the body part receiving space 31 is generally semi-circular is cross-section when view from the top down, as shown in Figure 4. When a body part is moved through the plane extending between the opposing side edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21 , in the opening 32, towards the outer shell 1 1 it enters the body part receiving space 31.

The outer shell 11 and padding layer 21 may be, for example, but not limited to, adhered, glued, stitched, or welded together. An advantage of the inner surface 13 of the outer shell 1 1 and the outer surface 22 of the padding layer 21 being connected to one another is that any fractured pieces of the outer shell 1 1 will still be held in place by the padding layer 21 , preventing complete destruction of the protective member 2 if the outer shell 1 1 breaks. The padding layer 21 may also further comprise a perforation 29 which is configured to improve the airflow from outside the protective member 2, on the outside of the protective apparatus 1 , to inside the protective member 2, proximate a body part of the wearer to be protected. The perforation 29 extends through the padding layer 21 from the outer surface 22 to the inner surface 23. In the present embodiment, the axis of the perforation 29 extends normally to a plane tangent to the outer surface 22 of the padding layer 21 where the perforation 29 is located. Alternatively, the perforation 29 may extend at an angle other than normal to the plane tangent to the outer surface 22 of the padding layer 21 where the perforation 29 is located. The padding layer 21 may comprise a plurality of pathways 33 extending between the outer surface 22 and the inner surface 23 such as to allow for the transmission of air or moisture. The padding layer 21 may comprise an open cellular structure such as to allow for the transmission of air or moisture. The perforation 29 may be any shape, for example, but not limited to: circular, triangular, oval, or slotted. Preferably, there is a plurality of perforations 29 provided in the padding layer 21 to further improve the airflow through the padding layer 21 of the protective member 2. The perforations 29 of the padding layer 21 are aligned with the perforations 19 of the outer shell 1 1 in order to provide channels 20 through which air can flow from outside the protective member 2 to inside the protective member 2.

Each of the said plurality of perforations 29 extending through the padding layer 21 may comprise a first opening 29a in the outer surface 22 and a second opening 29b in the inner surface 23.

The cross-sectional area of the channels 20 formed by the perforations 19, 29 may vary. That is, the cross-sectional area of the perforation 29 may be larger at the inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21 than the cross-sectional area of the perforation 29 at the outer surface 22 of the padding layer 21. In the same way, the cross-sectional area of the perforation 19 may be larger at the inner surface 13 of the outer shell 1 1 than the cross-sectional area of the perforation 19 at the outer surface 12 of the outer shell 1 1. In such an embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the perforation 19 at the inner surface 13 of the outer shell 1 1 and the perforation 29 at the outer surface 22 of the padding layer 21 would be equal and fully overlap.

In the configuration described above, the channel 20 widens as air flows from outside the protective member 2 to inside the protective member 2. It will be understood that in an alternative embodiment, the channel 20 may narrow as air flows from outside the protective member 2 to inside the protective member 2.

In one embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the channels 20 formed by the perforations 19 may vary such that the cross-sectional area comprises a throat portion between the outer surface 12 of the outer shell 1 1 and the inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21 , as shown by dotted lines in Figure 5. The throat portion may be at the outer edge 23 of the padding layer 21 or at a point in the outer shell 1 1 or padding layer 21. This configuration of the perforations 19, 29 forms a venturi tube which gives rise to the venturi effect. The venturi configuration is particularly advantageous because it accelerates airflow passing through the perforations 19, 29 towards a wearer’s body part to be protected to enhance the cooling effect and reduces sweating. Each of the perforations 19, 29 and channels 20 may comprise an inlet 44 with a first diameter, an outlet 46 with a second diameter and a throat 45 with a third diameter whereby the third diameter is smaller than each of the first and second diameters to achieve the accelerating airflow effect.

In some embodiments of the invention, as shown in Figure 9 and Figure 10, the padding layer 21 may be a laminate comprising at least two layers of foamed material having differing properties.

The padding layer 21 may comprise two or more layers, a first layer 21 a having an outer surface 22a and an inner surface 23a and a second layer 21 b having an outer surface 22b and an inner surface 23b. Preferably, the outer surface 22a of the first layer 21 a is attached to the inner surface 13 of the outer shell 1 1 , the inner surface 23a of the first layer 21 a is attached to the outer surface 22b of the second layer 21 b, and the inner surface 23b of the second layer 21 b confronts the longitudinal axis (A).

For example, the laminate may be formed such that a layer of foamed material having a greater rigidity is located proximate the outer shell 1 1 whereas a layer of foamed material having more flexibility is located distal from the outer shell 1 1. Therefore, the first layer 21 a may comprise a first material 24a and the second layer 21 b may comprise a second material 24b. The first material 24a may be more rigid than the second material 24b.

In this way, the energy dissipation of the protective member 2 can be increased whilst maintaining the cushioning effect provided by the inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21.

There may be more than two layers of foamed material in the laminate. In some embodiments the layers may be arranged from most rigid to least in the direction extending away from the inner surface of the outer shell 1 1. Each layer of the padding layer 21 may comprise perforations 29, as described above.

As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 4, the protective member 2 may further comprise an attachment means 34 for attaching the protective member 2 to a body part of a wearer that is to be protected such as, for example, but not limited to, a shin or a forearm. In the present embodiment, the attachment means 34 comprises a first portion 35 having a strap 36a having a first fastener 37 on its end. The strap 36a is attached to the outer shell 1 1 proximate to one of its side edges 16, 17. The length of the strap 36a is such that the first fastener 37 can be passed around the body part to be protected and still overlap the outer surface 12 of the outer shell 1 1. The attachment means 34 further comprises a second portion 38 which comprises a second fastener 39 which is configured to cooperate with and be releasably attachable to the first fastener 37. The second portion 38 is attached to the outer surface 12 of the outer shell 1 1 on an opposite side edge 16, 17.

Optionally, the first portion 35 may comprise a strap 36a having a first end 47 and a second end 48. The first end 47 is anchored to the outer surface 12 and the second end 48 is releasably attachable to the second portion 38. The second portion 38 is attached to a side edge 16, 17.

Optionally, the second portion 38 may also comprise a strap 36b. The straps 36a, 36b may be attached to opposing side edges 16, 17 of the outer shell 1 1 with fasteners 37, 39 on their ends that are releasably attachable to each other.

Optionally, the straps 36a, 36b may be elasticated. The first portion 35 may comprise an elasticated strap 40a. The second portion 38 may comprise an elasticated strap 40b.

The two fasteners 37, 39 can be connected in order to secure the protective member 2 to a body part to be protected. The fasteners 37, 39 may be cooperating pieces of Velcro® (hook-and-loop fastening strips). In such an embodiment, the second fastener 39 may comprise a strip of Velcro® running across the outer surface 12 of the outer shell 1 1 and the strap 36a may be elasticated so that different sized body parts can be accommodated. The protective member 2 may comprise a plurality of attachment means 34 in order to more securely attach the protective member 2 to a body part of a wearer that is to be protected. For example, one attachment means 34 may be located at the top of the outer shell 1 1 proximate the top edge 14 and another attachment means 34 at the bottom of the outer shell 1 1 proximate the bottom edge 15.

Referring now to Figure 2 and Figure 4, the protective member 2 further comprises a spacing member 41. The spacing member 41 extends between the opposing side edges 16, 17 of the outer shell 1 1 or the opposing side edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21. That is, the spacing member 41 extends in the plane between the opposing edges 16, 17 of the outer shell 1 1 or the opposing edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21 such that it extends across the opening 32 to the body part receiving space 31 when the protective member 2 is not being worn.

The spacing member 41 is thus spaced apart from the inner surface 13 of the outer shell 1 1 or the inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21 by a gap (G).

As shown in Figure 1 1 and Figure 12, the protection apparatus 1 comprising the padding layer 21 is optional. In some embodiments, there is no padding layer 21 and only an outer shell 1 1. Thus, the spacing member 41 is anchored to and extends between the side edges 16, 17 of the outer shell 1 1 and is spaced apart from the inner surface 13 by a gap (G).

The gap (G) between the spacing member 41 and the padding layer 21 forms an impact buffer zone 42. The impact buffer zone 42 may also form a cooling zone when there is at least one perforation 29 in the protective member 2. In the accompanying drawings the size of the impact buffer zone 42 has been exaggerated in order to clearly show its location. However, it will be appreciated that the size of the impact buffer zone 42 can be adjusted dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the body part being protected, the application i.e. severity of impact against which the protective member 2 will be protecting a body part, the size of the person wearing the apparatus 1 , and the climate in which the apparatus 1 is being worn. The extent of fastening of the attachment means 34 may also determine the size of the gap (G).

Referring to Figure 9 and Figure 1 1 , the protective member 2 comprises a first opening 9 bound by the top edges 7, 14 and a second opening 10 bound by the bottom edges 8, 15.

The gap (G) between the spacing member 41 and the outer shell 1 1 as in some embodiments, or between the spacing member 41 and the padding layer 21 as in other embodiments may reduce as the shin guard 1 a receives an impact. Such as reduction in the gap (G) may force air or moisture in the gap (G) to flow outwardly. Optionally, the air or moisture may flow around the wearer’s leg exiting from the sides of the shin guard 1 a. Preferably, the air or moisture may flow towards the outer shell 1 1 or the padding layer 21 exiting through the channels 20 provided by the perforations 19, 29. The resiliently deformable spacing member 41 may return to its starting position following impact such that the gap (G) is restored following an impact received by the shin guard 1 a.

The gap (G) between the spacing member 41 and the outer shell 1 1 as in some embodiments, or between the spacing member 41 and the padding layer 21 as in other embodiments may increase following an impact received by the shin guard 1 a. An increase in the gap (G) may force air or moisture to flow inwardly into the gap (G). Optionally, the air or moisture may be drawn through the sides of the shin guard 1 a. Preferably, the air or moisture may be drawn through the channels 20 provided by the perforations 19, 29.

The spacing member 41 , having a top edge 7 and a bottom edge 8, is formed from a resiliently deformable material or elastic material. That is, the material that the spacing member 41 is formed from can be stretched when enough force is applied and can return back to its original shape when the force is removed. Preferably, the resiliently deformable material which forms the spacing member 41 is strong enough to resist significant deformation when the protective member 2 is attached to a body part of a wearer that is to be protected and the protective member 2 may be covered by clothing, for example, but not limited to, a sock 50a when the protective member 2 is a shin pad. The spacing member 41 may be under tension between the opposing side edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21 so that it is taut. The rigidity of the outer shell 11 prevents the inward collapsing of the protective member 2.

In embodiments comprising an attachment means 34, the attachment means 34 may hold the protective member 2 against the body part to be protected and keep the spacing member 41 under tension. In all embodiments, the spacing member 41 is configured such that when the protective member 2 is worn, the inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21 is located close to the body part to be protected. That is, the maximum size of the gap (G) between the inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21 and the spacing member 41 is in the range of 2 mm to 50 mm when the material is not under tension. More preferably, the maximum size of the gap (G) between the inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21 and the spacing member 41 is in the range of 5 mm to 30 mm. Even more preferably, the gap (G) is in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm. When under tension but not under impact, it is preferable that the gap (G) between the inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21 and the spacing member 41 is in the range of 2 mm to 30 mm, and more preferably, less than 15 mm. The smaller the gap (G), the less cumbersome the protective member 2 becomes. As a result there is no reduction in freedom of movement. The larger the gap (G), the better the protection against impact for a given material. It will be understood that for warmer climates or indoor activities, a larger hole size in the mesh-material may be preferable.

Therefore, when the protective member 2 is placed against a body part to be protected and the attaching means 34 are tightened, the spacing member 41 contacts the body part and prevents the body part from coming into contact with a central portion 30 of the padding layer 21 , as illustrated in Figure 5. That is, the spacing member 41 spaces the body part to be protected from the inner surface 23 of the central portion 30 of the padding layer 21.

The inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21 may still contact a body part to be protected. Therefore, the inner surface 23 of the peripheral region 24 of the padding layer 21 may comprise at least one groove or slot (not shown) configured to enable air to pass from the impact buffer and cooling zone 42 to parts of the areas of the body part being protected that are in contact with the inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21.

As a result, the spacing member 41 provides the protective member 2 with increased impact energy dissipation capabilities. This is because during an impact, energy is first dissipated overcoming the tension force in the spacing member 41. When the tension force in the spacing member 41 is overcome, the spacing member 41 stretches which dissipates energy from the impact on the outer shell 1 1. As a result of the interaction between the outer shell 1 1 , padding layer 21 , spacing member 41 , and body part that is being protected, some energy from the impact may also be dissipated in deforming the outer shell 1 1 and padding layer 21 towards a straighter profile.

In the event of a particularly large impact on the outer shell 1 1 , the performance of the protective member 2 is still improved because after the initial energy dissipation, the spacing member 41 may be stretched sufficiently so that the spacing member 41 contacts the inner surface 23 of the padding layer 21. At this point, the padding layer 21 is deformed, or squashed, which further dissipates energy from the impact. In the present embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the spacing member 41 is configured such that it extends across the opening 32 to the body part receiving space 31 between the opposing side edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21 from proximate the top edge 14 of the outer shell 1 1 to proximate the bottom edge 15 of the outer shell 1 1. In such an embodiment, the sides of the spacing member 41 are attached to the outer shell 1 1 ; preferably on or proximate to the opposing side edges 16, 17.

Alternatively, the spacing member 41 may be attached to the opposing side edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21. In such an embodiment, the spacing member 41 may extend across the opening 32 to the body part receiving space 31 between the opposing side edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21 from proximate the top edge 25 of the padding layer 21 to proximate the bottom edge 26 of the padding layer 21. In yet another embodiment, the spacing member 41 may extend across the outer surface 12 of the outer shell 1 1 so that the spacing member 41 is continuous and at least partially encompasses the outer shell 1 1 and padding layer 21.

In one embodiment, the outer shell 1 1 and padding layer 21 of the protective member 2 may comprise overlapping substantially vertical slots (not shown) proximate to the opposing side edges 16, 17, 27, 28 through which the spacing member 41 extends. In such an embodiment, the spacing member 41 does not extend across the opening 32 of the body part receiving space 31. Instead, the spacing member 41 extends between parts of the padding layer 21 proximate the inner side edges 27, 28 of the peripheral region 24. Therefore, the spacing member 41 is closer to the central portion 30 of the padding layer 21 and so the impact buffer zone 42 is smaller.

An advantage of having the spacing member 41 extend over an area substantially equal to the frontal area of the protective member 2 is that when an object impacts the outer shell 1 1 and pushes the padding layer 21 and spacing member 41 closer together to reduce the size of the impact buffer zone 42, the force of the impact is spread over a larger area of the body part that is being protected. As the force is more widely distributed across the body part, there is less chance of pain or injury being experienced by a wearer.

The spacing member 41 is formed from a breathable material. That is, the material has holes in it through which air can flow easily; hence, the spacing member 41 may comprise an elastic open mesh structure. As illustrated by the cross-hatched lines in Figure 3, the resiliently deformable material from which the spacing member 41 is made is mesh, web, or net-like. A mesh-like material is a material comprising spaces between the strands or fibres so that the material is breathable. That is, air can easily pass through the spaces. Preferably, the spaces in the mesh-like material are roughly in the range of 4 to 144 mm². That is, the holes in the mesh-like material may be in the range of 2 to 12 mm wide when the protective member 2 is not being worn and the spacing member 41 is not under additional tension. The holes may be any shape. An advantage of using a mesh-like material is that as a result of less material being in contact with the body part being protected, the body part does not heat up as much due to improved air flow to the skin. Consequently, the body part does not sweat as much and the protective member 2 is more comfortable to wear. In addition, as there is less sweat, the protective member 2 is more hygienic and unpleasant odours are prevented.

In some embodiments, the protective member 2 may comprise a plurality of spacing members 41 which extend across the body part receiving space 31. They may be equally sized and spaced so as to extend across the body part receiving space 31 over the majority of the frontal area of the protective member 2. In some embodiments, the spacing members 41 may have different sizes.

The overall length and width of the protective member 2 may vary depending on the body part that it is designed to protect. The length and width of individual protective members 2 may vary so as to suit people of different sizes, heights, and widths. The design of the protective members 2 may also be greatly varied. For example, the bottom edges of a protective member 2 designed to protect a shin may have a curved section to accommodate the top of the ankle joint whilst extending downwards to cover part of the side of the ankle and/or foot. In another example, the top edges of the protective member 2 designed to protect a shin may have differing geometries in an attempt to protect more of the shin bone or the upper outside portion of the calf muscle. In general, a protective member 2 designed to protect a shin will be dimensioned to protect a wearer from a couple of inches below the knee down to the ankle. Referring now to Figure 6 to Figure 8, another embodiment of the protective apparatus 50 is shown. The protective apparatus 50 is generally the same as the embodiment of the protective apparatus 1 described above and so features and components of the protective apparatus 50 will retain the same terminology and reference numerals. As the protective apparatus 50 is generally the same as the embodiment of the protective apparatus described above, a detail description of similar features and components will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, the protective member 2 of the protective apparatus 50 comprises the outer shell 1 1 and the padding layer 21. The protective apparatus 50 further comprises a sleeve 51. The sleeve 51 is configured to hold the protective member 2 in place relative to the body part that is to be protected. As shown in Figure 6, the protective apparatus 50 is a shin guard and so the sleeve 51 is a sock 50a. The sleeve 51 may be closed at one end, as illustrated by the sock 50a, or can be open at both ends. For a sock 50a, this could mean that the sock 50a does not cover the foot by only loops around the heel like the heel strap 5 shown in Figure 1.

The sleeve 51 is adapted so that it comprises two sections; a first section 52 which is configured to receive a body part to be protected and a second section 53 which is configured to receive the protective member 2. The second section 53 is formed by a pouch 54. The pouch 54 comprises a front wall 55 and a rear wall 56.

In the present embodiment, the rear wall 56 forms part of first section 52 the sleeve 51. The front wall 55 of the pouch 54 has a top edge 57, a bottom edge 58, and opposing side edges 59, 60. The bottom edge 58 and opposing side edges 59, 60 of the front wall 55 are attached to the first section 52 of the sleeve 51 and encompass part of the sleeve 51 to form the rear wall 56 of the pouch 54.

As shown in Figure 6, the top end of the pouch 54 forming the second section 53 of the sleeve 51 has an open end 49. That is, the top edge 57 of the front wall 55 of the pouch 54 is not attached to the first section 52 of the sleeve 51. Therefore, the protective member 2 is removable from the pouch 54 of the sleeve 51. However, it will be appreciated that the top edge 57 of the front wall 55 may be attached to the first section 52 of the sleeve 51 so that the pouch 54 is closed and the protective member 2 enclosed in the pouch 54 so that it is not removable. In such an embodiment, the pouch 54 may be formed by attaching the front wall 55 to a typical sleeve 51 , for example, a normal high-shin length football sock or a forearm bandage.

In the present embodiment, the front wall 55 stretches to conform to the arcuate profile of the protective member 2. The rear wall 56 of the pouch 54, which is formed by the first section 52 of the sleeve 51 , acts as the spacing member 41. That is, the rear wall 56 extends between the opposing edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21 of the protective member 2 when it is placed in the pouch 54. The rear wall 56 extends in the plane of the opening 32 to the body part receiving space 31 and has a straight profile when the body part is not received in the first section 52 of the sleeve 51 , as shown in Figure 7. When a body part is received in the first section 52 of the sleeve 51 , the rear wall 56 has a slightly curved profile due to the additional tensioning caused by the force of the body part acting on the rear wall 56, as shown in Figure 8. The rear wall 56 may be formed of a mesh like material to allow air flow through the sleeve 51 to the body part. The rear wall 56 may be formed from the same material as the remainder of the sleeve 51 or a more permeable material or knit.

In an alternative embodiment, the pouch 54 may be formed on the inside of the sleeve 51. In such an embodiment, a rear wall 56 of the pouch 54 is attached to the inside of the front wall 55 which forms part of the sleeve 51.

The protective member 2 in the pouch 54 may additionally comprise its own spacing member 41. However, it will be appreciated that the spacing member 41 attached to the protective member 2 is not required because the rear wall 56 of the pouch 54 of the second section 53 of the sleeve 51 is tensioned between the opposing side edges 27, 28 of the padding layer 21 so that it acts like as the spacing member 41.

Claims

1. A shin guard (1 a) having a longitudinal axis (A) comprising:

a) an outer shell (1 1) comprising a substantially rigid material having an outer surface (12) that faces away from said axis (A) and a concave inner surface (13) that confronts said axis (A), a top edge (14) and a bottom edge (15) spaced apart along said axis (A), a first side edge (16) and a second side edge (17) each extending between the top edge (14) and the bottom edge (15), b) a spacing member (41) comprising a resiliently deformable material having a top edge (7) and a bottom edge (8), said spacing member (41) anchored to and extending between said first side edge (16) and said second side edge (17) and spaced apart from the inner surface (13) by a gap (G).

2. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a padding layer (21) having an outer surface (22) attached to the inner surface (13) of the outer shell (11) and an inner surface (23) that confronts the longitudinal axis (A), a top edge (25) and a bottom edge (26) spaced apart along said axis (A), a first side edge (27) and a second side edge (28) each extending between the top edge (25) and the bottom edge (26).

3. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claim 2 wherein the padding layer (21) comprises a resiliently deformable material.

4. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 1 to 3 further comprising a first opening (9) bound by the top edges (7, 14) and a second opening (10) bound by the bottom edges (8, 15).

5. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 1 to 4 wherein the outer shell (1 1) further comprises a plurality of perforations (19) extending through said outer shell (1 1), each having a first opening (19a) in the outer surface (12) and a second opening (19b) in the inner surface (13).

6. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 2 to 5 wherein the padding layer (21) further comprises a plurality of perforations (29) extending through said padding layer (21) each having a first opening (29a) in the outer surface (22) and a second opening (29b) in the inner surface (23).

7. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 2 to 6 wherein said perforations (19, 29) in each of the outer shell (1 1) and padding layer (21) are aligned to provide a plurality of channels (20) extending through said outer shell (1 1) and padding layer (21).

8. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 2 to 7 wherein each of the plurality of channels (20) comprise an inlet (44) with a first diameter, an outlet (46) with a second diameter and a throat (45) with a third diameter, the third diameter being smaller than each of the first and second diameters.

9. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 2 to 8 wherein the padding layer (21) comprises a plurality of pathways (33) extending between the outer surface (22) and the inner surface (23) such as to allow for the transmission of air or moisture.

10. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 2 to 9 wherein the padding layer (21) comprises an open cellular structure such as to allow for the transmission or air or moisture.

11. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 2 to 10 wherein the padding layer (21) further comprises two or more layers, a first layer (21 a) having an outer surface (22a) and an inner surface (23a) and a second layer (21 b) having an outer surface (22b) and an inner surface (23b), the outer surface (22a) being attached to the inner surface (13), the inner surface (23a) being attached to the outer surface (22b), and the inner surface (23b) confronting the longitudinal axis (A).

12. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claim 1 1 wherein the first layer (21 a) comprises a first material (24a) and the second layer (21 b) comprises a second material (24b), the first material (24a) being more rigid than the second material (24b).

13. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 1 to 12 wherein the spacing member (41) comprises an elastic open mesh structure.

14. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 1 to 13 further comprising an attachment means (34) having a first portion (35) and a second portion (38), the first portion (35) comprising a strap (36a) and a first fastener (37), the second portion (38) comprising a second fastener (39).

15. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claim 14 wherein the first portion (35) comprises a strap (36a) having a first end (47) and a second end (48), the first end (47) anchored to a side edge (16, 17) and the second end (48) releasably attachable to the second portion (38), the second portion (38) being attached to the outer surface (12) of the outer shell (11) on an opposite side edge (16, 17).

16. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 14 to 15 wherein the first portion (35) comprises a strap (36a) having a first end (47) and a second end (48), the first end (47) anchored to the outer surface (12) and the second end (48) releasably attachable to the second portion (38), the second portion (38) attached to a side edge (16, 17).

17. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 14 to 16 wherein the fasteners (37, 39) comprise hook-and-loop fastening strips.

18. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 14 to 17 wherein the first portion (35) comprises an elasticated strap (40a).

19. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 14 to 18 wherein the second portion (38) comprises an elasticated strap (40b).

20. The shin guard (1 a) as claimed in claims 1 to 19 further including a heel strap (5).

21. A sock (50a) comprising a pouch (54) having an open end (49) for receiving the shin guard (1 a) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

22. A sock (50a) comprising a pouch (54) having an open end (49) for receiving the shin guard (1 a) claimed in any of the preceding claims, the pouch (54) having a rear wall (56) that forms the spacing member (41).