Monolithic Goaltender Leg Pad Structure Without Knee Hinges

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ice hockey goalkeeper leg pads have hinges between the knee pad and the longitudinal pad, allowing unwanted pivoting and reducing performance and durability due to stitch lines that increase friction and wear.

Innovation Solution

A monolithic construction of the knee pad and longitudinal pad within the medial section of the leg pad, eliminating hinges and stitch lines, ensuring a uniform thickness and increased stiffness, which enhances mobility and reduces friction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If hinges are used between the knee pad and longitudinal pad, then the leg pad allows pivoting movement, but this increases friction and wear due to stitch lines

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepivoting movementVSAvoiddurability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The knee pad and longitudinal pad are merged into a single monolithic piece of foam material, eliminating the hinge connection and stitch lines between them. This integration removes the source of friction and wear while maintaining the necessary structural connection between the two pad sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The hinge connection and stitch lines are extracted/removed from the design. By eliminating these separate connection elements, the patent removes the friction and wear points that would otherwise exist at the junction between the knee pad and longitudinal pad.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If hinges are used between the knee pad and longitudinal pad, then the leg pad allows pivoting movement, but this reduces performance due to unwanted pivoting

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovemobilityVSAvoidperformance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The knee pad and longitudinal pad are merged into a single monolithic piece of foam material, eliminating the hinge connection and stitch lines between them. This integration removes the source of friction and wear while maintaining the necessary structural connection between the two pad sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If a monolithic construction is used for the knee pad and longitudinal pad, then friction and wear are reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedurabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The knee pad and longitudinal pad are merged into a single monolithic piece of foam material, eliminating the hinge connection and stitch lines between them. This integration removes the source of friction and wear while maintaining the necessary structural connection between the two pad sections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250360392A1Hockey goaltender leg pads

Publication Date: 2025.11.27 SPORT MASKA

AI summary

A method of manufacturing a hockey goalkeeper leg pad includes securing a medial pad to the medial section of an outer shell. The medial pad has a longitudinal pad extending longitudinally between a top end and a bottom end in a vertical direction, and a knee pad monolithically protruding rearwardly from the longitudinal pad in a direction transverse to the vertical direction. A core padding is inserted inside the pocket of the outer shell. An opening of the pocket is closed by securing a rear edge of the medial section to a medial edge of a rear section, such that a thickness of the medial pad at an intersection between the knee pad and the longitudinal pad is substantially equal to the thickness of the medial pad at opposite sides of the intersection, and wherein the medial pad is free of a hinge connection at the intersection.