Adapter Bull Shin Guard Assembly

Abstract

A shin guard assembly for a sports player includes an outer shell, a liner removably connected to an inner surface of the outer shell, the liner including an upper portion and a lower portion movable between first and second positions, and a pocket connected to the inner surface of the outer shell and removably receiving the lower portion of the liner when the liner is in the first position. A sports player can customize the position of the lower portion of the shin guard liner depending on the type of shoe they wear. When the liner is in the first position, the pocket covers the lower portion of the liner, thereby reducing wear on the upper outer surface of the shoe and the shin guard liner.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of protective sports apparel, and more particularly to shin guards for athletes having protective pockets for reducing wear and related damage to sports footwear due to the shin guard liner. [Background technology]

[0002] The present invention relates to shin guards with integrated interior pockets designed to protect shin guard liners and athletic shoes from wear, while providing comfort and versatility.

[0003] In high-collision sports such as ice hockey, football, lacrosse, and soccer, athletes require padded protective gear. Shin guards are one of a variety of protective gear worn by athletes in such sports to protect the lower extremities, including the knees, shins, calves, and ankles. Shin guards typically consist of a shell with an outer shield or padding and an inner liner. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In addition to protecting a player's lower legs, it would be beneficial to design shin guards so that the liner of the shin guard does not rub or wear against the upper part of the player's footwear. Over time, wear and tear on the upper part of a player's footwear can damage the laces and eyelets of the footwear and generally shorten the life of the footwear. Similarly, the footwear can also wear and tear on the liner of the shin guard itself.

[0005] For example, in ice hockey, many ice hockey skaters wear their hockey skates "tongue-out," so that the shin guards and shin guard liner are positioned along the length of the player's leg and behind the top exterior of the player's skate, i.e., the "tongue" of the skate. However, some ice hockey skaters wear their hockey skates "tongue-in," so that the shin guard liner is positioned in front of the top exterior of the hockey skate and directly contacts the tongue of the skate. This can wear down and damage the tongue-in ice hockey skate, the top exterior of the hockey skate, including the ice hockey guard and eyelets. Additionally, the skate rubbing against the shin guard liner as the skater moves can also cause wear on the shin guard liner.

[0006] Other developers of shin guards, including hockey shin guards, have generally focused on the material of the bottom, inner portion of the shin guard liner, selecting a material that is more abrasion-resistant than the rest of the liner in an effort to protect the top of the hockey skate. However, such shin guard liners are often uncomfortable against a player's feet when the player wears the skates or shoes "outside the tongue." Additionally, abrasion-resistant materials generally lack moisture-wicking and odor-resistant properties.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for protective shin guards for sports players, including hockey skaters, that reduce wear and tear on the upper exterior portion of the player's footwear, such as hockey skates, and similar wear and tear on the shin liner. Such gear should be convenient and customizable to fit depending on whether the player wears the footwear "tongue-in" or "tongue-out." It would also be beneficial if it provided sweat, moisture, and odor resistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] These needs are addressed by the shin guards of the present invention, which include a user-adjustable internal pocket for reducing wear on the footwear upper caused by the singer liner. The internal pocket is integrated with the shin guard and removably receives the bottom of the singer liner. The present invention provides greater versatility through two configurations that allow athletes to customize the placement of the singer liner depending on their footwear wearing preferences. As previously mentioned, sports players, such as hockey players, can choose to wear their sports shoes with the tongue of the shoe flat against the top of the foot, with the shin guards in front of the shoe's upper exterior (i.e., "tongue-in"), or they can choose to wear their sports shoes with the tongue facing up and out, with the shin guards behind the shoe's upper exterior (i.e., "tongue-out").

[0009] In one aspect, a shin guard assembly for a sports player is provided, comprising: (a) an outer shell; (b) a liner removably coupled to an inner portion of the outer shell, the liner including an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the liner being positionable in a first position and a second position; and (c) a pocket coupled to the inner portion of the outer shell, the pocket configured to removably receive the lower portion of the liner when the liner is in the first position.

[0010] Preferably, the outer shell comprises an upper part and a lower part, each of which further comprises a knee shield for protecting the player's knees and a shin shield for protecting the player's shins and ankles.

[0011] Preferably, the shin guard liner is removably attached to the inner surface of the outer shell of the shin guard and is positionable in a first position in which a lower portion is received within the internal pocket and a second position in which the lower portion is located outside the internal pocket.

[0012] Preferably, the pocket has a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal opening configured to removably receive all or a portion of the bottom of the Singer liner when the Singer liner is in the first position.

[0013] In a further aspect, the integral inner pocket of the shin guard is made of an abrasion-resistant material. The pocket may be made of polymer, leather, or fabric that has been appropriately treated, such as with a wax coating, to make it abrasion-resistant. Preferably, the pocket covers the lower edge of the shin guard liner when in the initial position, reducing damage to the upper surface of the player's footwear while providing a comfortable fit against the player's foot.

[0014] Preferably, the inner surface of the Singer liner that contacts the skin when worn is constructed of moisture-wicking fabric and has at least one area for contacting the player's skin or clothing to reduce slippage or shifting of the liner position during play.

[0015] These and other aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to the following description and drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of a shin guard including knee pads, shin pads, and straps that form part of the outer shell, this embodiment showing the exterior part of the shin guard. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the shin guard of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a side view of the shin guard of FIG. 1 with the liner of the shin guard removed from the interior of the shin guard. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of the split Singer liner of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a partial rear view of an embodiment of the shin guard alone with the shin guard liner removed. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is a rear view of an alternative embodiment of shin guards, showing the shin guard liner attached with its bottom positioned outside the integrated inner pocket. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a rear view of an alternative embodiment of a shin guard showing the shin guard liner inserted into the integrated inner pocket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] In the figures, preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of example. It is expressly understood that the description and drawings are for purposes of illustration and aid in understanding. They are not intended to define the limits of the present invention. It is understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and that details not necessary for understanding embodiments of the present invention may be omitted. With reference to these drawings, it will be understood that the present invention can be implemented in a variety of different sports for a variety of different sport players. These embodiments are given by way of example only.

[0018] Turning now to the figures, Figure 1 shows a front view of a preferred embodiment of the shin guard 100 of the present invention. In this figure, the shin guard 100 comprises an outer shell 120 having a generally concave configuration with a knee portion 122 and a shin portion 124, and a liner 160 and a pocket 180 (not shown in Figure 1) on its inner side.

[0019] The outer shell 120 has a knee portion 122 and a shin portion 124, a knee shield 126 attached to the knee portion 122 of the outer shell to protect the knees of the player's legs, and a shin shield 128 attached to the shin portion 124 of the outer shell to protect the shins and ankles of the player's legs. The knee shield 126 and the shin shield 128 may be movable relative to each other when the player bends and straightens their legs. The knee shield and the shin shield may be removably or permanently attached to the knee portion 122 and shin portion 124 of the outer shell 120, respectively.

[0020] The knee shield 126 and the shin shield 128 may be made of a hard material that protects a player's legs from impact with, for example, a stick, a ball, a puck, another player, or an inanimate object. The knee shield and the shin shield may be made of a polycarbonate material, a thermoplastic, polyethylene, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, or other suitable material. The knee shield 126 and the shin shield 128 may be made of the same material, different materials, or each may be comprised of a combination of materials. The knee shield 126 and the shin shield 128 may alternatively be made of a flexible material that can protect a player's legs from impact. Such flexible, protective materials are known in the art.

[0021] 5, the thin shield 128 further includes a first side shield 130 and a second side shield 132 extending from the top of the thin shield 128. The side shields provide additional protection to the sides of the player's knees from impact. The first side shield 130 can be larger than the second side shield 132 to provide greater protection to the outer sides of the player's knees.

[0022] The outer shell 120 has first and second side flaps 140, 150 that encircle the sides of the player's legs not substantially covered by the knee shield 126 and shin shield 128, providing additional protection. The second side flap 150 has an interior portion 152 that may incorporate padding made from sponge foam, low-density or high-density polypropylene foam, or similar materials, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 . The interior portion 152 of the flap 150, including the padding, may be formed from any suitable fabric, most preferably a moisture-wicking fabric, and optionally a stretchable or compressible material; such fabric may optionally be made from spandex or LYCRA®. The side flaps 140 may also have interior portions containing additional padding, if desired.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a side view of one embodiment of the shin guard 100. In this view, the outer shell 120 has a knee portion 122 and a shin portion 124, a knee shield 126, a shin shield 128, a first side flap 140, and a side flap 150 (not shown in FIG. 2). The side flap 140 has a shin strap 142 and a calf wrap strap 146 for adjustably attaching and securing the shin pad 100 to a player's leg. The side flap 150 has a "loop" surface that is removably attachable to opposing complementary "hook" surfaces. The shin strap 142 and the calf wrap strap 146 have "hook" surfaces on their inner surfaces, extend lengthwise, and are removably attached by pressing against the opposing "loop" surfaces of the side flap 150, allowing the shin pad to be adjustably attached and secured to a player's leg. The player can tighten the shin straps 142 and / or calf wrap straps 146 as needed by pulling the straps over the second side flap 150 and applying pressure so that the opposing "hook" and "loop" surfaces join to form a removable bond.

[0024] 2 and 5, the outer shell 120 further includes a front thigh pad 170 located above the knee portion 122. The front thigh pad 170 provides additional protection to the lower front thigh where it meets the player's knee. The front thigh pad 170 may be integral with the outer shell 120 or may be a reversibly attachable pad that is connected to the inner surface of the knee portion 122 by, for example, opposing "hook" and "loop" surfaces.

[0025] 3 and 5, in a preferred embodiment, the inner surface of the outer shell 120 is comprised of strips 260 and 262 of "hook" surfaces removably attached to opposing complementary "loop" surfaces. The first strip 260 is located substantially in the center of the knee region 122, and the second strip 262 is an elongated vertical strip located substantially along the centerline of the shin region 124. Other configurations of additional strips are possible.

[0026] 4 shows one embodiment of liner 160. Liner 160 is a generally concave, V-shaped removable insert that conforms to a player's lower leg. As described further below, the liner can be used in a first position and a second position, allowing its placement to be customized depending on how the player wears the shoe (i.e., "tongue in" or "tongue out").

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, liner 160 has an inner surface, an outer surface, and an internal frame (not visible). The outer surface may be made of any suitable fabric, most preferably a moisture-wicking fabric, and optionally a fabric containing a stretchable or compressible material, such as spandex fibers or LYCRA®. As seen in FIG. 4, the outer surface of liner 160 also incorporates strips 162 and 164 (as hook-and-loop fasteners) with "loop" surfaces that can be reversibly attached to opposing, complementary "hook" surfaces of strips 260 and 262, respectively, on the inner surface of outer shell 120. In this manner, liner 160 can be secured to the inside of the outer shell and positioned to insulate against impacts to a player's anterior lower leg. Liner 160 may also have only one strip, such as strip 164; strip 162 is optional, as is strip 260 on its corresponding surface. Many configurations and shapes of strips are possible, so long as such strips provide a sufficient gripping surface.

[0028] In Figures 6 and 7, the liner 160 is shown in a cutaway view, revealing the surface that contacts the knee shield 126 and shin shield 128. As seen in Figures 6 and 7, the inner surface of the liner 160 comprises padding to protect the player's lower legs from impact and at least one surface that provides friction to prevent the liner from slipping against the player's skin or the inside of the player's clothing. The padding can be constructed of sponge foam, low-density or high-density polypropylene foam, or similar materials. The padding can be contained within any suitable fabric that forms the inner surface of the liner 160, most preferably a moisture-wicking fabric, optionally including a stretchy or compressible material such as spandex or LYCRA®. The inner frame of the liner 160 may be made of molded polyethylene, other thermoset plastics, or similar materials, and provides significant structure to the liner and protects the inner surface padding from compressing, bending, sagging, or warping with use.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows that the inner surface of the outer shell 120 further includes a pocket 180 configured to removably receive the lower portion of the liner 160 when the liner is in the first position. While the liner 160 is in the first position, the lower end of the liner is covered by the pocket 180 and cannot directly contact other surfaces, including the upper exterior surface of the sports shoe. This allows the sports player to comfortably wear the shin guard 100 while preventing the liner 160 from abrading the upper surface of the sports shoe and general wear. When the hockey skate is worn in the first position, i.e., stored in the pocket 180, the shin guard liner does not directly contact the upper exterior surface of the player's hockey skate, thereby helping to prevent premature wear and tear on the skate. This also prevents such wear and tear on the upper exterior surface of the footwear of baseball players, ball hockey players, field hockey players, soccer players, football players, and other sports players who wear shin guards or shin guards.

[0030] Pocket 180 is constructed from abrasion-resistant material. Pocket 180 may optionally incorporate sweat, odor, or moisture control features.

[0031] The outer shell 120 may be made of any suitable material(s), including polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, sponge foam, or any combination thereof, and most preferably a moisture-wicking material such as polyester, polypropylene, nylon, wool, rayon, spandex, acrylic, or bamboo, and optionally a stretchable or compressible material, including fabrics containing spandex fibers or LYCRA®. Other suitable materials are available and will be known to those skilled in the art. Such materials or combinations thereof may allow the outer shell to flex and conform to the player's legs and provide knee or shin shields or cushioning for blows or impacts to the sides of the player's lower legs.

[0032] 5 and 7 show a preferred embodiment of the shin guard pad with the liner 160 in a first position, securely and reversibly attached to the outer shell 120, with its bottom inserted inside the pocket 180. The first position is suitable for players who prefer to wear their footwear "veloin."

[0033] 6 shows a preferred embodiment of the shin pad with the liner 160 in a second position, in which the liner 160 is securely but removably attached to the outer shell 120 with the bottom portion located outside the pocket 180. The second position is suitable for players who prefer to wear their footwear "tongue out."

[0034] While the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be understood that many variations, modifications, and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. 1. A shin guard assembly for a sports player, comprising: An outer shell; a liner reversibly connected to an inner portion of the outer shell, the liner including an upper portion and a lower portion movable between first and second positions; a pocket in the outer shell connected to an inner portion of the outer shell and adapted to reversibly receive a lower portion of the liner when the liner is in the first position; Shin guard assembly with

2. The outer shell is an outer upper part provided with a knee shield for protecting the knees of the player; an outer lower portion having a shin shield for protecting the player's shins and heels; The shin guard assembly of claim 1 , comprising:

3. 3. The shin guard assembly of claim 1, wherein the pocket has a reversible horizontal, vertical, or diagonal opening configured to receive the lower portion of the liner when the lower portion of the liner is in the first position.

4. 4. The shin guard assembly of claim 1, wherein the pocket is made of a wear-resistant material.

5. The shin guard assembly of claim 4, wherein the abrasion-resistant material comprises at least one of plastic, leather, or coated fabric.

6. The shin guard assembly of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the liner has an outer surface and an inner surface.

7. The shin guard assembly of claim 6 , wherein the outer surface of the liner is configured for reversible attachment to the inner portion of the outer shell.

8. The shin guard assembly of claim 7 , wherein the outer surface of the liner is attached to the inner side of the outer shell by clips, hook-and-loop fasteners, or snap fasteners.

9. The shin guard assembly of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the interior surface of the liner comprises a moisture-wicking fabric.

10. 10. The shin guard assembly of claim 6, wherein the inner surface of the liner contacts the player's skin in at least one area.

11. 11. The shin guard assembly of claim 10, wherein the area that contacts the player's skin includes a non-slip material.

12. The shin guard assembly of claim 11 , wherein the non-slip material comprises rubber or silicone.

13. 13. The shin guard assembly of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the moisture-wicking fabric comprises at least one of polyester, polypropylene, nylon, wool, rayon, spandex, acrylic, or bamboo.

14. 14. A shin guard assembly as described in any one of 1 to 13, including one or more straps for removably attaching the shin guard assembly to the player's lower leg.

15. 3. The shin guard assembly of claim 2, wherein the knee shield and the shin shield are rigid.

16. The shin guard assembly of claim 2 , wherein the knee shield and the shin shield are flexible.

17. 17. The shin guard assembly of claim 1, wherein the player is an ice hockey player, a ball hockey player, a field hockey player, a lacrosse player, a baseball player, a cricket player, a soccer player, or a football player.

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