Knee support system

Abstract

A jacket comprises an exterior layer. The jacket further comprises an inner liner layer that is substantially coextensive with the exterior layer. The inner liner layer has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The inner liner layer exterior surface is secured to the exterior layer along a seam. The jacket further comprises a plurality of flexible covers secured to the inner liner layer. The plurality of flexible covers forming a corresponding plurality of pockets. Each of the plurality of pockets includes a corresponding padding member positioned therein.

1 . A knee support device comprising: 
 an expandable sleeve configured to be positioned over a knee, the expandable sleeve having an exterior surface with a forward portion, a rearward portion opposite the forward portion, and side portions extending between the forward and rearward portions;    a central padding element that is attached to the expandable sleeve exterior surface, and that has a narrow region and a wide region opposite the narrow region, wherein the central padding element narrow region is attached to the exterior surface rearward portion, and wherein the central padding element wide region is attached to one of the exterior surface side portions;    an upper peripheral padding element, at least a portion of which is attached to the rearward portion of the expandable sleeve exterior surface, wherein the upper peripheral padding element is positioned in contact with an upper edge of the central padding element; and    a lower peripheral padding element, at least a portion of which is attached to the rearward portion of the expandable sleeve exterior surface, wherein the lower peripheral padding element is positioned in contact with a lower edge of the central padding element.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an adjustable strap positioned around a portion of the expandable sleeve.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable sleeve comprises a material selected from the group consisting of neoprene and polyurethane.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the upper peripheral padding element has a narrow region and a wide region opposite the narrow region;    the upper peripheral padding element narrow region is attached to the exterior surface rearward portion; and    the upper peripheral padding element wide region is attached to one of the exterior surface side portions.    
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the upper peripheral padding element is positioned in contact with the upper edge of the central padding element over the exterior surface side portion, but not over the exterior surface rearward portion.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the central padding element, the upper peripheral padding element, and the lower peripheral padding element comprise polyurethane.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a trousers having a trunk portion connected to an elongate leg portion, wherein the expandable sleeve is attached to the elongate leg potion of the trousers.  
   
   
       8 . A knee support device comprising: 
 a hollow sleeve configured to be positioned over a knee, the hollow sleeve including a forward portion, a rearward portion opposite the forward portion, and left and right side portions extending between the forward and rearward portions, wherein the left and right side portions are substantially equidistant from a sleeve central axis;    a left primary padding element at least partially disposed over the left side portion of the hollow sleeve, the left primary padding element having a narrow region and a wide region opposite the narrow region;    a right primary padding element at least partially disposed over the right side portion of the hollow sleeve, the right primary padding element having a narrow region and a wide region opposite the narrow region; and    a plurality of secondary padding elements that contact at least one of the left or right primary padding elements, wherein the secondary padding elements are disposed in pairs that are symmetrically positioned about the sleeve central axis.    
   
   
       9 . The knee support device of  claim 8 , wherein each of the secondary padding elements has a narrow region and a wide region opposite the narrow region, the narrow region being positioned over the rearward portion of the hollow sleeve.  
   
   
       10 . The knee support device of  claim 8 , further comprising a trousers having a trunk portion connected to an elongate leg portion, wherein the hollow sleeve is coupled to the elongate leg portion of the trousers.  
   
   
       11 . The knee support device of  claim 8 , further comprising a first plurality of fasteners positioned along an upper edge portion of the hollow sleeve, and a second plurality of fasteners positioned along a lower edge portion of the hollow sleeve.  
   
   
       12 . The knee support device of  claim 8 , wherein the left primary padding element, the right primary padding element and the plurality of secondary padding elements comprise polyurethane.  
   
   
       13 . The knee support device of  claim 8 , wherein the left primary padding element narrow region and the right primary padding element narrow region are positioned over the rearward portion of the hollow sleeve.  
   
   
       14 . The knee support device of  claim 8 , wherein the left primary padding element and the right primary padding element are symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of the sleeve central axis.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a tubular sleeve configured to be positioned around a knee, the tubular sleeve having an exterior surface with a forward portion, a rearward portion opposite the forward portion, and left and right side portions extending between the forward and rearward portions;    a first layer of left side padding elements positioned on the left side portion of the tubular sleeve;    a first layer of right side padding elements positioned on the right side portion of the tubular sleeve;    a kneecap protection element positioned on the forward portion of the exterior surface; and    a plurality of radial padding elements that are radially positioned around the kneecap protection element, wherein a first portion of the radial padding elements are positioned over the first layer of left side padding elements, and a second portion of the radial padding elements are positioned over the first layer of right side padding elements.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first layer of left side padding elements and the first layer of right side padding elements both comprise a plurality of ovular-shaped padding elements that extend between the exterior surface forward portion and the exterior surface rearward portion.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the tubular sleeve comprises a material selected from the group consisting of neoprene and polyurethane.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a second layer of left side padding elements that are positioned over the first layer of left side padding elements; and    a second layer of right side padding elements that are positioned over the first layer of right side padding elements.    
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of radial padding elements have a triangular shape.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a rigid shell positioned over the kneecap protection element, wherein the kneecap protection element comprises polyurethane.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the kneecap protection element comprises a rigid shell.