Arm guard

Abstract

An item of apparel covers the arms of a wearer engaged in water sports. The item is a sleeve, or a pair of sleeves, made of neoprene-type fabric that will cover a wearer's wrists, forearms and elbows.

1 . An article of protective wear comprising: 
 an elongated arm guard having a hand end and an elbow end, the arm guard open at each end, the hand end of the arm guard having an aperture formed in the arm guard, the aperture spaced away from the open hand end of the arm guard.    
   
   
       2 . The article set forth in  claim 1  wherein the aperture is a thumb hole.  
   
   
       3 . The invention in accordance with  claim 2  wherein a seam is formed along the length of the elongated arm guard and the thumb hole is offset from the seam location.  
   
   
       4 . The invention in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the arm guard is comprised of neoprene material.  
   
   
       5 . The invention in accordance with  claim 4  wherein the neoprene is fabric backed.  
   
   
       6 . The invention in accordance with  claim 5  wherein the neoprene is fabric backed and the fabric is nylon.  
   
   
       7 . The invention in accordance with  claim 3  wherein the arm guard is formed from an arm guard blank and the seam is formed by affixing a right side edge of an arm guard blank to a left side edge of the arm guard blank.  
   
   
       8 . The invention in accordance with  claim 7  wherein the seam is formed by stitching the right side edge to the left side edge.  
   
   
       9 . The invention in accordance with  claim 8  wherein the seam comprises an elastic band sewn into the seam by a four stitch overlay sewing machine, the stitch holding the edges of the blank together while providing stretch and expandability.  
   
   
       10 . The invention in accordance with  claim 2  wherein the thumb hole comprises a stretch stitch on the edge of the thumb hole around the perimeter thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The invention in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the open end of the hand end comprises a stretch stitch on the edge of the open end of the hand end.  
   
   
       12 . The invention in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the open end of the elbow end comprises a stretch stitch on the edge of the open end of the elbow end.  
   
   
       13 . The invention in accordance with  claim 7  wherein the seam is affixed by an adhesive to bond the right side edge to the left side edge of the blank.  
   
   
       14 . An article of protective wear comprising: 
 an elongated tubular arm guard having a hand end and an elbow end, the arm guard open at each end, the hand end of the arm guard having a thumb hole spaced away from the open hand end of the arm guard;    the arm guard made of nylon backed neoprene material having a thickness in the range of less than 1.5 mm to greater than 6 mm.    
   
   
       15 . The invention in accordance with  claim 14  further comprising: 
 a seam extending the length of the elongated tubular arm guard and the thumb hole is offset from the seam.    
   
   
       16 . A method of providing arm protection to a rider of a water bourn tube comprising the acts of: 
 cutting a blank from a sheet of material, the blank having left and right side edges;    cutting a thumb hole in the blank;    attaching the left and right side edges of the blank together to form a tubular arm guard having openings at the ends of the arm guard;    positioning the arm guard on an arm of the rider and positioning the rider's thumb through the thumb hole of the arm guard.    
   
   
       17 . The method set forth in  claim 16  where positioning the arm guard includes the act of pulling the arm guard on the arm to a location beyond the elbow of the rider.  
   
   
       18 . The method set forth in  claim 16  wherein the sheet of material is neoprene.  
   
   
       19 . The method set forth in  claim 16  wherein the act of cutting a blank further includes the acts of placing a pattern template on the sheet of material; 
 directing a cutting device around the template while cutting the material.    
   
   
       20 . The method set forth in  claim 16  wherein the act of attaching the left and right side edges of the blank together creates a seam, the seam comprising an adhesive bonding the left and right side edges making the blank into a tubular structure.