Protective Ice Hockey Sock

Abstract

A protective article of clothing for preventing cuts and injury to a lower leg of an ice hockey player is provided. The protective article of clothing comprises a sock element and a protective barrier element for protecting a back of the lower leg.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective article of clothing for covering a lower leg of a user, the protective article of clothing comprising:
 a sock element configured to encapsulate the lower leg from a heel to above a knee, wherein the sock element fits over a shin guard worn on the lower leg of the user and comprises a front portion and a back portion; and   a protective barrier element, wherein the protective barrier element is attachable to the back portion of the sock element.   
     
     
         2 . The protective sock of  claim 1 , wherein the protective barrier element is a flexible cut-resistant fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The protective sock of  claim 1 , wherein the protective barrier element is a flexible cut-resistant coating. 
     
     
         4 . The protective sock of  claim 3 , wherein the flexible coating comprises a cut-resistant synthetic material. 
     
     
         5 . The protective sock of  claim 4 , wherein the cut-resistant synthetic material comprises approximately between 10 and 100 percent Kevlar® or Vectran®. 
     
     
         6 . A protective article of clothing for covering a lower leg of an ice hockey player, the protective article of clothing comprising:
 a sock element configured to encapsulate the lower leg from a heel to a knee, wherein the sock element fits over a shin guard worn on the lower leg and comprises a front portion, a back portion, an inside, an outside, a base, and a top; and   a protective barrier element comprising a high-tensile polymer, wherein the protective barrier element is removably attached to the back portion of the sock element.   
     
     
         7 . The protective article of clothing of  claim 6 , wherein the protective barrier element is stitched into the inside of the back portion of the sock element. 
     
     
         8 . The protective article of clothing of  claim 6 , wherein the protective barrier element is stitched into the outside of the back portion of the of the sock element. 
     
     
         9 . The protective article of clothing of  claim 6 , wherein the protective barrier element is hot glued onto the back portion of the sock element. 
     
     
         10 . The protective article of clothing of  claim 6 , wherein the protective barrier element extends along a length of the sock element from the base to the top of the sock element. 
     
     
         11 . The protective article of clothing of  claim 10 , wherein the protective barrier element protects at least one of an Achilles tendon, a calf, and a back of a knee. 
     
     
         12 . The protective article of clothing of  claim 6 , wherein the protective barrier element is approximately between 1/32 and ¼ inches in thickness. 
     
     
         13 . The protective article of clothing of  claim 6 , wherein the protective barrier element is approximately between 12 and 30 inches in height and approximately between two and six inches in width. 
     
     
         14 . A protective sock for covering a lower leg of an ice hockey player, the protective sock comprising:
 a sock element configured to encapsulate the lower leg from a heel to a knee, wherein the sock element fits over a shin guard worn on the lower leg and comprises a front portion, a back portion, an inside, an outside, a base, and a top; and   a flexible protective barrier element comprising a top portion, a middle portion, and a bottom portion, wherein the flexible protective barrier element is stitched onto the back portion of the sock element.   
     
     
         15 . The protective sock of  claim 14 , wherein the flexible protective barrier element extends laterally toward the front portion of the sock element so as to overlap or underlap a shin guard. 
     
     
         16 . The protective sock of  claim 14 , wherein the flexible protective barrier element comprises a laceration resistant material. 
     
     
         17 . The protective sock of  claim 16 , wherein the flexible protective barrier element comprises single or multiple layers of the laceration resistant material. 
     
     
         18 . The protective sock of  claim 16 , wherein the laceration resistant material comprises at least one of the following: Kevlar®, Vectran®, thermoplastic polyethylene fiber, polypropylene fiber, high-density microfiber, or polyester fiber. 
     
     
         19 . The protective sock of  claim 14 , wherein the flexible protective barrier element is wider at the top portion than at the bottom portion. 
     
     
         20 . The protective sock of  claim 14 , the flexible protective barrier element is wider in the middle portion than at the top portion or the bottom portion.