Chest protector

Abstract

Chest protectors (e.g., for use during motocross, or other high-speed motor sports) for protecting a rider from injury are provided. A chest protector is made with removable protective attachments that provide flexibility and has a low neckline, or removable neck attachment, to facilitate use of the chest protector with removable neck braces. In some implementations, the neck brace is be attached to the chest protector, e.g., using hook and loop fasteners.

1 . An impact protection device comprising:
 a harness configured to be worn over the clavicles or shoulders of a user;   a protective chest portion attached to a front portion of the protective harness; and   a protective back portion attached to a rear portion of the harness, the chest and back portion defining a neck opening;   wherein the protective chest and back portions each include a channel sized and shape to removably receive respective front and back portions of a neck brace that extend downwardly over an upper portion of the chest and back when worn by the user such that the neck brace forms a nesting fit with the chest and back portions of the chest protector.   
     
     
         2 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the front and rear channels comprises a cut-out region sized and shaped such that the front portion, back portion or both portions of the neck brace, when worn by the user, are nested in the cut-out region. 
     
     
         3 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the front and rear channels comprises a sleeve sized and shaped such that the front portion, back portion or both portions of the neck brace, when worn by the user, are nested in the sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The impact protection device of  claim 3  wherein at least one of the chest and back portions of the chest protector includes a flexible inner liner, and wherein the flexible inner liner defines the sleeve. 
     
     
         5 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the front and rear channels comprises a cavity sized and shaped such that the front portion, rear portion or both portions of the neck brace, when worn by the user, are nested in the cavity. 
     
     
         6 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the chest and back portions of the chest protector includes a flexible inner liner and a rigid outer plate, and wherein the channel is defined between the liner and the rigid outer plate. 
     
     
         7 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  wherein the protective chest portion includes an upper chest portion and a lower chest portion, and wherein at least the upper chest portion is removably attached to the chest protector. 
     
     
         8 . The impact protection device of  claim 7  wherein when the upper chest portion is removed, the channel comprises a cut-out region sized and shaped such that when worn by the user, the front portion of the neck brace is nested in the cut-out region. 
     
     
         9 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  wherein the protective back portion includes an upper back portion and a lower back portion, and wherein at least the upper back portion is removably attached to the chest protector. 
     
     
         10 . The impact protection device of  claim 9  wherein when the upper back portion is removed, the channel comprises a cut-out region sized and shaped such that, when worn by the user, the back portion of the neck brace is nested in the cut-out region. 
     
     
         11 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  wherein the protective back portion includes an upper back portion, a middle back portion and a lower back portion, and wherein at least the middle back portion is removably attached to the chest protector. 
     
     
         12 . The impact protection device of  claim 11  wherein when the middle back portion is removed, the channel comprises a cut-out region sized and shaped such that, when worn by the user, the back portion of the neck brace is nested in the cut-out region. 
     
     
         13 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  further comprising protective clavicle portions attached to the shoulder harness. 
     
     
         14 . The impact protection device of  claim 13  wherein the protective clavicle portions are removably attached to the shoulder harness. 
     
     
         15 . The impact protection device of  claim 13  wherein each clavicle portion includes discrete front and rear clavicle portions removably attached to the shoulder harness. 
     
     
         16 . The impact protection device of  claim 13  wherein at least the rear clavicle portion is removable. 
     
     
         17 . The impact protection device of  claim 13  wherein each clavicle portion comprises a rigid outer plate 
     
     
         18 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  further comprising protective shoulder portions attached to the shoulder harness. 
     
     
         19 . The impact protection device of  claim 18  wherein the protective shoulder portions are removable. 
     
     
         20 . The impact protection device of  claim 18  wherein the protective shoulder portions are attached to the shoulder harness at a flexible joint. 
     
     
         21 . The impact protection device of  claim 20  wherein the flexible joint comprises a flexible material attached on one side to the shoulder portions and on the other side to the shoulder harness. 
     
     
         22 . The impact protection device of  claim 18  wherein the protective shoulder portions comprise rigid outer plates. 
     
     
         23 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  further comprising protective rib portions attached to the protective chest portion or the protective back portion. 
     
     
         24 . The impact protection device of  claim 23  wherein the protective rib portions are attached to opposing sides of the protective chest portion or the protective back portion. 
     
     
         25 . The impact protection device of  claim 23  wherein the protective rib portions are removably attached to opposing sides of the protective chest portion or the protective back portion. 
     
     
         26 . The impact protection device of  claim 23  wherein the protective rib portions are attached to opposing sides of the protective chest portion at flexible joints. 
     
     
         27 . The impact protection device of  claim 23  wherein the flexible joints comprise a flexible material attached on one side to the protective chest portion or the protective back portion and on the other side to the protective rib portions. 
     
     
         28 . The impact protection device of  claim 23  wherein the protective rib portions comprise rigid outer plates. 
     
     
         29 . The impact protection device of  claim 28  wherein the protective rib portions further comprise protective rib extensions flexibly secured to the protective rib portions. 
     
     
         30 . The impact protection device of  claim 29  wherein the rib extensions are removable. 
     
     
         31 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  further comprising a lower back extension attached to the protective back portion. 
     
     
         32 . The impact protection device of  claim 31  wherein the back extension is removable. 
     
     
         33 . The impact protection device of  claim 1  further comprising means for connecting the neck brace to the shoulder harness when the neck brace is worn by the user. 
     
     
         34 . The impact protection device of  claim 33  wherein the connection means are disposed on the protective chest or back portions. 
     
     
         35 . The impact protection device of  claim 33  wherein the connection means are disposed in the channel of the protective chest or back portions. 
     
     
         36 . The impact protection device of  claim 33  wherein the connection means comprise hook and loop fasteners. 
     
     
         37 . The impact device of  claim 1  further comprising at least one horizontal strap for securing the chest protector around the chest and back of the user. 
     
     
         38 . The impact device of  claim 37  wherein the harness and strap are secured together by at least one vertical strap. 
     
     
         39 . An impact protection device comprising:
 a harness configured to be worn over the clavicles or shoulders of a user;   a protective chest portion attached to a front portion of the protective harness; and   a protective back portion attached to a rear portion of the harness, the chest and back portion defining a neck opening;   wherein at least one of protective chest and back portions include a cut-out region along the neck opening, the cut-out region being sized and shaped to removably receive a respective front or back portion of a neck brace that extends downwardly over an upper portion of the chest or back when worn by the user such that the neck brace forms a nesting fit with the chest or back portion of the chest protector.   
     
     
         40 . The impact protection device of  claim 39  wherein the both the front and back portions of the chest protector include cut-out regions. 
     
     
         41 . The impact protection device of  claim 39  wherein the cut-out region is in the shape of a V, and U, a half-square, a half-circle or a half-oval or a polygonal portion relative to the neck opening. 
     
     
         42 . The impact protection device of  claim 39  further comprising one or more of clavicle portions, shoulder portions, rib portions, rib extensions or back extension. 
     
     
         43 . The impact protection device of  claim 39  wherein one or more of the clavicle portions, shoulder portions, rib portions, rib extensions or back extension are removable. 
     
     
         44 . An impact protection device comprising:
 a protective chest portion adapted to be attached over a chest of a user;   a protective back portion adapted to be attached over a back of the user, the chest and back portions defining a neck opening;   at least one strap connecting the chest and back portions; and   a removable neck brace including front and rear portions that extend downwardly over an upper portion of the chest and back of the user;   wherein the protective chest and back portions each include a channel sized and shaped that receives the respective front and back portions of the neck brace such that the neck brace forms a nesting fit with the chest and back portions of the chest protector.   
     
     
         45 . The impact protection device of  claim 44  wherein the channels comprise one of a sleeve, a cut-out region and a cavity. 
     
     
         46 . The impact protection device of  claim 44 , wherein the back portion of the neck brace includes a downwardly extending column, the channel receiving the downwardly extending column of the neck brace. 
     
     
         47 . The impact protection device of  claim 44 , wherein the neck brace is releasably attached to the chest protector by fastening means. 
     
     
         48 . The impact protection device of  claim 44  further comprising a shoulder harness connecting the front and back chest plates. 
     
     
         49 . The impact protection device of  claim 44 , further comprising one or more removable protective attachments selected from a group consisting of a shoulder cap, a front clavicle cap, a back clavicle cap, an extended back protector, and an extended rib protector. 
     
     
         50 . The impact protection device of  claim 44 , wherein the front portion of the removable neck brace includes an upper flange, a lower flange or both. 
     
     
         51 . The impact protection device of  claim 50  wherein the lower flange nests in the channel. 
     
     
         52 . The impact protection device of  claim 50  wherein the lower and upper flanges nest in the channel. 
     
     
         53 . The impact protection device of  claim 44  wherein the back portion of the neck brace includes a lower extension, and wherein the lower extension nests in the channel. 
     
     
         54 . The impact protection device of  claim 44  wherein the neck brace further includes lower supports adapted to contact a user's clavicles or shoulders, and wherein the chest protector does not include a protective portion clavicle or shoulder portion that prevents contact between the lower supports and the user's clavicles or shoulders.