U.S. patent application number 13/745889 was filed with the patent office on 2013-07-25 for leg guard assembly.
This patent application is currently assigned to STORELLI SPORTS LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is STORELLI SPORTS LLC. Invention is credited to Jing Liang, Thomas Vincent Marchesi, Claudio Storelli, Matthew Weill.
Application Number | 20130185839 13/745889 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48795978 |
Filed Date | 2013-07-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130185839 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Storelli; Claudio ; et
al. |
July 25, 2013 |
LEG GUARD ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A leg guard assembly comprises an elongated pad extending along
the outside of the leg guard assembly, a shin guard sleeve
positioned on the front of the leg guard assembly and connected to
the elongated pad, an inner ankle pad positioned opposite the
elongated pad on the inside of the leg guard assembly, and an
elastic positioned at the lowermost portion of the leg guard
assembly, the elastic forming a loop that is adapted to secure a
foot between the sole and the instep.
Inventors: |
Storelli; Claudio; (New
York, NY) ; Liang; Jing; (Brooklyn, NY) ;
Marchesi; Thomas Vincent; (Brooklyn, NY) ; Weill;
Matthew; (New York, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
STORELLI SPORTS LLC; |
New York |
NY |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
STORELLI SPORTS LLC
New York
NY
|
Family ID: |
48795978 |
Appl. No.: |
13/745889 |
Filed: |
January 21, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61588984 |
Jan 20, 2012 |
|
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/22 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 2071/1275 20130101;
A63B 71/1225 20130101; A41D 13/0543 20130101; A63B 2071/1258
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/22 |
International
Class: |
A41D 13/05 20060101
A41D013/05 |
Claims
1. A leg guard assembly comprising: an elongated pad extending
along the outside of the leg guard assembly; a shin guard sleeve
positioned on the front of the leg guard assembly and connected to
the elongated pad; an inner ankle pad positioned opposite the
elongated pad on the inside of the leg guard assembly; an elastic
positioned at the lowermost portion of the leg guard assembly, the
elastic forming a loop that is adapted to secure a foot between the
sole and the instep.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This Application claims priority to Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/588,984, filed on Jan. 20, 2012, which is
hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to the field of athletic
accessories. More specifically, this invention involves a leg guard
assembly or leg protection apparatus having an elongated outer pad,
an inner ankle pad and ergonomically shaped elastic.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The use of shin guards in soccer and other sports is well
known. Shin guards have been used to protect the front surface of a
user's lower leg since at least the late 19.sup.th Century and
probably earlier.
[0004] A traditional shin guard is a single piece of hard plastic
that is curved to fit comfortably over a user's shin bone. The
traditional shin guard is worn underneath a long sock, where the
sock secures the shin guard in place.
[0005] Variations and modifications of the traditional shin guard
include attaching a stirrup to the shin guard to prevent the shin
guard from moving up the shin during use, Stirrups of this type
comprise a single piece of elastic positioned close to the heel of
the foot, where the stirrup connects to the left and right side of
the shin guard.
SUMMARY
[0006] A leg guard assembly is provided to provide improved
protection and maneuverability to a user, preferably a soccer
player. The leg guard assembly is primarily constructed of an
elastic meth fabric and fits around the lower leg of a user. At its
lowermost portion, the leg guard assembly includes an elastic that
secures the assembly to the user's foot.
[0007] The leg guard assembly further includes an outer leg/ankle
pad and an inner ankle pad. The outer leg/ankle pad includes a
lower bulbous section, a narrow middle section, and a wider top
section. The three section of the outer leg/ankle pad are adapted
to provide maximum protection to the outer leg while maintaining
optimal maneuverability. The inner ankle pad provides protection
for the vulnerable inner ankle bone.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a right side view of a leg guard assembly, for a
right leg, incorporating the preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a left side view thereof;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a front elevation view thereof; and
[0011] FIG. 4 is a rear elevation view.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] With reference to FIGS. 1 through 4, there is shown a
preferred embodiment of a leg guard assembly 100 of the present
invention. The leg guard assembly 100 comprises a sleeve that fits
over a user's foot and calf similar to a sock, The leg guard
assembly 100 includes a shin guard sleeve 110, two protective pads
114, 116, an elastic 118, and connecting mesh 120. It is preferable
for the two protective pads 114, 116 to be made of Poron.RTM. XRD
foam covered in Lycra.RTM.. Depending on level of protection
required, other materials such as moldable fiberglass, silicone
gel, composite materials (carbon fiber and/or Kevlar), EVA foam, or
any other combination of the above mentioned materials may be used
for the relevant protective pads 114, 116.
[0013] The shin guard sleeve 110 is a pocket formed by two layers
of fabric. The pocket is open at its top 112 allowing a shin guard
to be inserted. The shin guard sleeve 110 is positioned on the
front of the leg guard assembly 110 and is tapered to facilitate
custom positioning by a user. Preferably, at the top of the shin
guard sleeve 112, around the cuff 102 of the leg guard assembly, is
a thin continuous band 122 of silicone that decreases slippage of
the leg guard assembly 100 down a user's calf.
[0014] Adjacent to the shin guard sleeve 110, on the side of the
leg guard assembly 100 corresponding to the outside of a user's
foot, is an outer ankle/leg pad 114. As illustrated in the attached
drawings of a leg guard assembly 100 for a right foot, the outer
ankle/leg pad 114 is positioned to the right of the shin guard
sleeve 110. The outer ankle/leg pad 114 extends from near the cuff
of the leg guard assembly 102, not far from a user's knee, down to
the user's foot. Accordingly, the outer ankle/leg pad 114 covers
the protruding bone on the outside of the user's ankle (lower
fibula) and the length of the outside of the user's lower leg. The
outer ankle/leg pad is wide and bulbous at its lowermost portion
124, narrowest at the user's high ankle section 126, and gradually
widens as it progresses to a wider section 128 up towards the knee.
The wider and bulbous sections 124, 128 of the pad provide greater
protection to more vulnerable areas while the narrow section 126 at
the high ankle maintains maximum mobility for the user's ankle. In
particular, the outer ankle/leg pad 114 protects a user's leg
during a slide tackle - a technique in soccer which involves diving
or sliding foot first to make contact with the ball. Slide tackles
often expose the outside of the lower leg to scrapes and abrasions
from rough field or artificial turf.
[0015] Opposite the outer ankle/leg pad 114 and positioned on the
leg guard assembly corresponding to the inside of a user's lower
leg is the inner ankle pad 116. The inner ankle pad 116 is
positioned adjacent to the elastic 118 and over the bone on the
inside of the user's ankle (lower tibia), Above the inner ankle pad
is a section of mesh 120 that extends up to the cuff of the leg
guard assembly 102.
[0016] An optional pad for the Achilles tendon above the heel may
also be incorporated for players who are recovering from an
Achilles injury. The pad protecting the Achilles should be made
from a flexible foam or gel-like material or from flexible
interlocking stiff pads when additional protection is required.
[0017] At the lowermost portion of the leg guard assembly is the
elastic 118. The elastic 118 comprises a single strip of elastic
that is adapted to conform to the shape of a user's foot. In
particular, the elastic is positioned at the front of the leg guard
assembly forward of the shin guard sleeve 110. Thus, the elastic is
positioned within the arch on the sole of the user's foot where it
is secured in place. Additionally, the elastic is connected at its
ends 130 in an angled manner creating a conic shape. The conic
shape enhances the leg guard assembly's fit over the soles of the
foot and the instep of the foot. By wrapping around the sole and
the instep to form a loop, the elastic 118 provides an improved
securement to the user's foot.
[0018] The remainder of the leg guard assembly 100 is constructed
of a combination of elastic nylon/spandex fabric and elastic mesh
fabric that stretches to securely fit the user's foot, ankle and
lower leg. The mesh fabric provides breathability to improve
temperature control and comfort
[0019] It is preferable for the outer ankle/leg pad 114 and the
inner ankle pad 116 to be sewn into the leg guard assembly 100 by
an overlock stitch and then a straight stitch. The combination of
the overlock stitch and the straight stitch locks the pads 114, 116
in a fixed position.
[0020] The accompanying drawings only illustrate several
embodiments of a leg guard assembly and its respective constituent
parts, however, other types and styles are possible, and the
drawings are not intended to be limiting in that regard. Thus,
although the description above and accompanying drawings contain
much specificity, the details provided should not be construed as
limiting the scope of the embodiments but merely as providing
illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments. The
drawings and the description are not to be taken as restrictive on
the scope of the embodiments and are understood as broad and
general teachings in accordance with the present invention. While
the present embodiments of the invention have been described using
specific terms, such description is for present illustrative
purposes only, and it is to be understood that modifications and
variations to such embodiments, including but not limited to the
substitutions of equivalent features, materials, or parts, and the
reversal of various features thereof, may be practiced by those of
ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
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