Padded arm and leg protectors

Abstract

Padded arm and leg protectors having particular application to be worn around the arm and leg of one playing the game of paintball to prevent injury as a consequence of a paintball propelled from a paintball marker striking the player's arm or leg. In one embodiment, the arm protector includes a sleeve surrounding the arm and extending at least between the elbow and the wrist of the player. The sleeve has an outside top layer, an inside bottom layer, and a plurality of protective pads retained between the layers. The protective pads are strategically positioned along the sleeve to cover the wearer's elbow, his wrist and at least some of the muscles of the arm between the elbow and the wrist. The protective pads are separated and spaced from one another by respective channels which extend completely around each pad. By virtue of the foregoing, the protective pads are movable independently of one another so as to provide the arm with unrestricted movements during play, whereby to permit the player's elbow to bend, the wrist to rotate and the arm muscles between the elbow and wrist to flex at the same time.

1 . A padded limb protector to be worn over and protect one of the arm or leg of a wearer, said limb protector including a plurality of individual pads that are separated from and moveable independently of one another depending upon the movements of the arm or leg. 
     
     
         2 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 1 , wherein the limb to be protected is the wearer's arm, said limb protector further including a sleeve to be pulled over at least some of the arm of the wearer, said sleeve being sized to extend continuously between and surround at least the wearer's wrist and elbow, and said plurality of individual pads being carried by said sleeve to cover at least the wrist and elbow. 
     
     
         3 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 2 , wherein said sleeve has an inside bottom layer and an outside top layer, said plurality of individual pads being located and retained between said inside bottom and outside top layers. 
     
     
         4 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 3 , wherein the inside bottom and outside top layers of said sleeve are manufactured from a material that is adapted to stretch in response to a pulling force applied thereto. 
     
     
         5 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 3 , wherein said plurality of individual pads are manufactured from a resilient cushion material. 
     
     
         6 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 3 , wherein said plurality of individual pads are spaced from one each other so as to be able to move independently relative to one another between the inside bottom and outside top layers of the sleeve depending upon the movement of the arm of the wearer. 
     
     
         7 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 6 , wherein said plurality of individual pads are separated and spaced from one another by respective channels located between adjacent ones of said pads. 
     
     
         8 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 7 , wherein the outside top layer of said sleeve is sealed against the inside bottom layer thereof to create said respective channels located between said adjacent ones of said plurality of individual pads by which said pads are separated and spaced from one another. 
     
     
         9 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 8 , wherein each pad of said plurality of individual pads is completely surrounded by at least one of said respective channels. 
     
     
         10 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 3 , further including an abrasion and impact-reducing layer of armor attached over the top layer of said sleeve and lying above each of said plurality of individual pads. 
     
     
         11 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 3 , wherein there is a cuff located at one end of said sleeve and having a thumb hole formed therein for receipt of the wearer's thumb and a fastening strap located at the opposite end of said sleeve and adapted to be tightened around the wearer's arm so as to prevent said sleeve from sliding down along the arm. 
     
     
         12 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 1 , wherein the limb to be protected is the wearer's leg, said limb protector further including a sleeve to be pulled over at least some of the leg of the wearer, said sleeve being sized to extend continuously between and surround the wearer's knee and shin, and said plurality of pads being carried by said sleeve to cover at lest the knee and shin. 
     
     
         13 . The padded limb protector recited in  claim 12 , wherein said plurality of individual pads are separated and spaced from one another by respective channels located between adjacent ones of said pads. 
     
     
         14 . A padded arm protector to prevent injury to a wearer's arm as a result of projectiles being propelled towards and against the arm, said arm protector comprising a sleeve to be worn over and surround the arm and having a length sufficient to extend at least between the wearer's elbow and wrist, said sleeve comprising an outer top layer, an inner bottom layer, and a plurality of protective pads located between said outer top and inner bottom layers, at least a first of said protective pads positioned between said outer and inner layers to cover the wearer's elbow, at least a second of said protective pads positioned between said inner and outer layers to cover the wearer's wrist, and at least a third of said protective pads positioned between said inner and outer layers to cover at least some of the muscles of the arm between the elbow and the wrist, each of said first, second and third protective pads being spaced from and moving independently of one another when the wearer simultaneously bends his elbow, rotates his wrist, and flexes his arm muscles. 
     
     
         15 . The padded arm protector recited in  claim 14 , wherein each one of said first, second and third protective pads of said plurality of protective pads is completely surrounded and separated from an adjacent one of said protective pads by a channel, said channel being formed by attaching said outer top and inner bottom layers directly to one another. 
     
     
         16 . A padded arm protector to be worn over the arm of a wearer, said arm protector including a sleeve to be pulled over and cover the arm of the wearer between at least the wrist and the elbow, a plurality of individual pads connected to the sleeve, and a corresponding plurality of individual covers attached to said sleeve and covering respective ones of said plurality of individual pads. 
     
     
         17 . The padded arm protector recited in  claim 16 , wherein said sleeve is manufactured from a material that is adapted to stretch in response to a pulling force applied thereto. 
     
     
         18 . The padded arm protector recited in  claim 16 , wherein said plurality of individual pads are manufactured from a resilient cushion material. 
     
     
         19 . The padded arm protector recited in  claim 16 , wherein said plurality of individual pads are spaced from one another along said sleeve so as to be able to move independently relative to one another with said sleeve depending upon the movements of the arm of the wearer. 
     
     
         20 . The padded arm protector recited in  claim 19 , wherein said plurality of individual pads are separated and spaced from one another by means of respective channels located between adjacent ones of said pads. 
     
     
         21 . The padded arm protector recited in  claim 20 , wherein said plurality of individual covers are separated and spaced from one another by said channels located between said adjacent ones of said pads. 
     
     
         22 . The padded arm protector recited in  claim 16 , wherein each one of said plurality of individual pads is completely surrounded by a corresponding one of said plurality of individual covers to hold said pads against sleeve.