System and cincture to protect the upper torso of an individual

Abstract

A cincture is worn on and protects the upper torso of an individual. The cincture is spaced apart from the neck of the individual and contacts the individual's shoulder at points intermediate the individual's neck and distal end of the collarbone to protect the individual's neck from injury and to facilitate transmitting strike forces over the posterior of the shoulder and upper back of the individual.

1 . A cincture to be worn on and protect the upper torso of an individual, the upper torso including a sternum, a pair of clavicles each having a distal end, a pair of shoulder girdles, a pair of shoulders, an upper back, and a medial line, the torso interconnecting the arms and neck of the individual, said cincture including
 (a) a frame including
 (i) a back portion, 
 (ii) a sternum protector; 
 (iii) pair of spaced apart wing units each 
  interconnecting said back portion and said sternum protector, 
  including an upper wing and a lower wing spaced apart from said upper wing, said upper and lower wings co-terminating at an inner arcuate connector, 
 (Iv) an elastic shock absorbing structure connected to and extending outwardly from said upper wing, 
   (b) a pair of primary epaulets each pivotally mounted on a different one of said wing units and shaped and dimensioned to conform to and seat on said elastic shock absorbing structure;   
       said cincture shaped and dimensioned such that when mounted on the upper torso of the individual,
 (c) the neck of the individual extends upwardly between said inner arcuate connectors, 
 (d) each of said inner arcuate connectors is spaced apart from the neck; 
 (e) each of said lower wings at the midline of the shoulder contacted by said lower wing
 (i) is spaced apart from the neck, 
 (ii) extends at least partially above the distal end of the clavicle that is in the should contacted by said lower wing, and 
 (iii) does not extend outwardly past the distal end of the clavicle that is in the shoulder contacted by said lower wing, 
 said lower wing being shaped and dimensioned freely to permit, when the individual is standing upright, abduction of the arm connected to the shoulder contacted by said lower wing and hanging downwardly vertically at the side of the individual through an angle of at least one hundred and sixty degrees.