Athletic protector cup

Abstract

An athletic protector cup having a resilient member with an inner surface faceable toward a body of a wearer, an outer surface, a first flex panel, and a second flex panel. The athletic protector cup also has a rigid member having an inner surface coupled to the outer surface of the resilient member, the rigid member also having an anchor portion along an outer edge coupled to the resilient member. The outer edge of the rigid member is shaped correspondingly to the first flex panel and the second flex panel of the resilient member.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An athletic protector cup comprising: 
 a cup-shaped rigid member having a periphery defined by a peripheral edge, an outer surface to face away from the wearer and an inner surface to face toward the wearer;    a cup-shaped resilient member having an outwardly facing surface, the inner surface of the rigid member being covered by the outwardly facing surface of the resilient member within the periphery of the peripheral edge of the rigid member such that the rigid member is spaced from the body of the wearer by the resilient member.    
     
     
         2 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 1  wherein the outwardly facing surface of the resilient member covers substantially the entire inner surface of the rigid member within the periphery of the peripheral edge.  
     
     
         3 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 1  wherein the peripheral edge of the rigid member defines a rounded bead extending further inwardly from the inner surface of the rigid member and wherein the outwardly facing surface of the resilient member defines a recessed area that receives the rigid member, the recessed area defining a rounded groove around its periphery to receive the rounded bead of the rigid member to further secure the rigid member and the resilient member together.  
     
     
         4 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid member has at least two grounding areas, one at a top portion of the rigid member and one at a bottom portion of the rigid member, the rigid portion having a first side and a second side both extending between the top portion and the bottom portion of the rigid member.  
     
     
         5 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 4 , wherein the resilient member has a top portion, a bottom portion and first and second side portions extending from the top portion, the bottom portion and the first and second side portions of the rigid member, respectively, and wherein the first and second side portions of the resilient member increase in width as they extend away from the top and bottom portions of the rigid member to form first and second flex panels along the first and second sides of the rigid member.  
     
     
         6 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 5 , wherein each of the first and second side portions of the resilient member has a portion of decreased width between portions of increased width such that the first and second flex panels define a double wave shape at a location where the side portions of the resilient member extend from the side portions of the rigid member.  
     
     
         7 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 6 , wherein the rigid member has a bulge along each of the first side and the second side, the bulge of each side located between adjacent waves of the double wave shape of each side portion of the resilient member.  
     
     
         8 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 4 , wherein the rigid member has at least three grounding areas, two spaced apart grounding areas at the top portion of the rigid member and one grounding area at the bottom portion of the rigid member, the first side of the rigid member extending between the bottom portion and one of the grounding areas at the top portion and the second side of the rigid member extending between the bottom portion and the other of the grounding areas at the top portion.  
     
     
         9 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 8 , wherein the resilient member has a top portion, a bottom portion and first and second side portions extending from the top portion, the bottom portion and the first and second sides of the rigid member, respectively, and wherein the top portion of the resilient member increases in width as it extends between the two spaced apart grounding areas at the top portion of the rigid member to form a flex panel along the top portion of the rigid member.  
     
     
         10 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 9 , wherein the first and second side portions of the resilient member increase in width as they extend away from the top and bottom portions of the rigid member to form first and second flex panels along the first and second sides of the rigid member.  
     
     
         11 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second side portions of the resilient member has a portion of decreased width between portions of increased width such that the first and second flex panels define a double wave shape at a location where the side portions of the resilient member extend from the side portions of the rigid member.  
     
     
         12 . The athletic protector cup of  claim 11 , wherein the rigid member has a bulge along each of the first side and the second side, the bulge of each side located between adjacent waves of the double wave shape of each side portion of the resilient member.  
     
     
         13 . The athletic protector of  claim 1  further comprising aligned apertures extending through the resilient member and the rigid member.  
     
     
         14 . The athletic protector of  claim 1  wherein the rigid member further comprises an aperture through which a portion of the resilient member extends.  
     
     
         15 . The athletic protector of  claim 14  wherein the resilient portion extends through the aperture in the rigid member so as to be flush with the outer surface of the rigid member.  
     
     
         16 . The athletic protector of  claim 14  wherein the resilient portion extends through the aperture in the rigid member and protrudes from the outer surface of the rigid member.