Articles Of Apparel Incorporating Cushioning Elements

Abstract

Cushioning elements for apparel may include a pair of material layers and a pad component that is located between and secured to the material layers. At least one surface of the pad component includes a plurality of elongate grooves. In addition, a plurality of elongate voids extend through the pad component.

1 . An article of apparel incorporating at least one cushioning element for attenuating impact forces, the cushioning element comprising:
 a first material layer and a second material layer; and   a pad component located between the first material layer and the second material layer, the pad component including a first surface and an opposite second surface, the first surface facing the first material layer, and the second surface facing the second material layer, and the pad component including (a) a plurality of elongate grooves that extend from the first surface toward the second surface and (b) a plurality of elongate voids that extend through the pad component and from the first surface to the second surface.   
     
     
         2 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the grooves are aligned with each other and the voids are aligned with each other. 
     
     
         3 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 2 , wherein the grooves and the voids intersect. 
     
     
         4 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein end areas of the grooves are located at a peripheral edge of the pad component, and end areas of the voids are spaced inward from the peripheral edge. 
     
     
         5 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein end areas of the voids are spaced inward from a peripheral edge of the pad component, and a plurality of additional grooves extend from the end areas of the voids to the peripheral edge. 
     
     
         6 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the grooves have different widths. 
     
     
         7 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the voids have different widths. 
     
     
         8 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the voids has a non-uniform width. 
     
     
         9 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the pad component includes a polymer foam material. 
     
     
         10 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the pad component includes a first layer and a second layer with different properties, the first layer forming the first surface and the second layer forming the second surface, the grooves extending from the first surface and into the second layer. 
     
     
         11 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 10 , wherein each of the first layer and the second layer are polymer foam materials. 
     
     
         12 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 10 , wherein each of the first layer and the second layer are polymer foam materials with different colors. 
     
     
         13 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are textile materials. 
     
     
         14 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 13 , wherein the first material layer is a mesh textile. 
     
     
         15 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first material layer is secured to the first surface and the second material layer is secured to the second surface. 
     
     
         16 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first material layer forms at least a portion of an exterior surface of the article of apparel. 
     
     
         17 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 16 , wherein the second material layer forms at least a portion of an interior surface of the article of apparel. 
     
     
         18 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first material layer is joined to the second material layer around at least a portion of a periphery of the pad component. 
     
     
         19 . An article of apparel incorporating at least one cushioning element for attenuating impact forces, the cushioning element comprising:
 a first material layer and a second material layer; and   a pad component located between the first material layer and the second material layer, the pad component including a first surface and an opposite second surface, the first surface facing the first material layer, and the second surface facing the second material layer, and the pad component including:
 (a) a plurality of elongate grooves that extend into the pad component from the first surface, end areas of the grooves being located at a peripheral edge of the pad component, 
 (b) a plurality of elongate voids that extend through the pad component, end areas of the voids being spaced inward from the peripheral edge, and 
 (c) a plurality of additional grooves that extend from the end areas of the voids to the peripheral edge. 
   
     
     
         20 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 19 , wherein the grooves are aligned with each other, the voids are aligned with each other, and the grooves and the voids intersect. 
     
     
         21 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 19 , wherein the pad component includes a first layer and a second layer with different properties, the first layer forming the first surface and the second layer forming the second surface, and the grooves extending through the first layer and into the second layer. 
     
     
         22 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 19 , wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are textile materials, the first material layer being secured to the first surface and forming at least a portion of an exterior surface of the article of apparel, and the second material layer being secured to the second surface and forming at least a portion of an interior surface of the article of apparel. 
     
     
         23 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 22 , wherein the first material layer is joined to the second material layer around at least a portion of a periphery of the pad component. 
     
     
         24 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 19 , wherein the pad component includes a bevel between the first surface and the peripheral edge. 
     
     
         25 . An article of apparel incorporating at least one cushioning element for attenuating impact forces, the cushioning element comprising a pad component with a first surface and an opposite second surface, the first surface facing toward an exterior surface of the apparel, and the second surface facing toward an interior surface of the apparel, and the pad component including:
 a plurality of elongate grooves formed in the first surface, end areas of the grooves being located at a peripheral edge of the pad component;   a plurality of elongate voids that extend from the first surface to the second surface, end areas of the voids being spaced inward from the peripheral edge; and   a plurality of additional grooves that extend from the end areas of the voids to the peripheral edge.   
     
     
         26 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 25 , wherein the pad component further includes a first material layer and a second material layer, the first material layer being secured to the first surface and the second material layer being secured to the second surface. 
     
     
         27 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 26 , wherein the first material layer and the second material layer are textile materials, the first material layer forming at least a portion of the exterior surface, and the second material layer forming at least a portion of the interior surface. 
     
     
         28 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 26 , wherein the grooves are aligned with each other, the voids are aligned with each other, and the grooves and the voids intersect. 
     
     
         29 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 25 , wherein at least two of the grooves have different widths. 
     
     
         30 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 25 , wherein at least two of the voids have different widths. 
     
     
         31 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 25 , wherein at least one of the voids has a non-uniform width. 
     
     
         32 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 25 , wherein the pad component includes a first foam layer and a second foam layer with different properties, the first foam layer forming the first surface and the second foam layer forming the second surface, the grooves extending through the first foam layer and into the second foam layer. 
     
     
         33 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 25 , wherein the pad component includes a bevel between the first surface and the peripheral edge. 
     
     
         34 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 33 , wherein the grooves extend to the bevel. 
     
     
         35 . An article of apparel incorporating at least one cushioning element for attenuating impact forces, the cushioning element comprising:
 a first material layer and a second material layer; and   a pad component located between and secured to the first material layer and the second material layer, the pad component including a first surface and an opposite second surface, the first surface facing the first material layer, and the second surface facing the second material layer, and the pad component including a plurality of elongate voids that extend through the pad component and from the first surface to the second surface.   
     
     
         36 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 35 , wherein end areas of the voids are spaced inward from a peripheral edge of the pad component. 
     
     
         37 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 35 , wherein end areas of the voids are spaced inward from a peripheral edge of the pad component, and a plurality of grooves extend from the end areas of the voids to the peripheral edge. 
     
     
         38 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 35 , wherein the first material layer is a mesh textile. 
     
     
         39 . The article of apparel recited in  claim 35 , wherein the pad component includes a plurality of grooves, at least one of the grooves intersecting at least one of the voids.