Leg pads for a hockey goalkeeper

Abstract

A leg pad for a hockey goalkeeper playing hockey (e.g., roller hockey) is provided. The leg pad is wearable on a leg of the hockey goalkeeper to protect the leg. The leg pad comprises a front, a medial side, and a lateral side respectively configured to be positioned adjacent to a front, a medial side, and a lateral side of the leg when the leg pad is worn on the leg. The leg pad comprises protective padding and an outer covering disposed over the protective padding. The leg pad comprises a slider in the medial side of the leg pad for facilitating sliding of the medial side of the leg pad on a playing surface when the leg is moved. The slider may be mounted beneath the outer covering and exposed through an opening of the outer covering to slide on the playing surface.

1 . A leg pad for a hockey goalkeeper, the leg pad being wearable on a leg of the hockey goalkeeper to protect the leg, the leg pad comprising a front, a medial side, and a lateral side respectively configured to be positioned adjacent to a front, a medial side, and a lateral side of the leg when the leg pad is worn on the leg, the leg pad comprising:
 a) protective padding;   b) an outer covering disposed over the protective padding, the outer covering comprising an opening in the medial side of the leg pad; and   c) a slider in the medial side of the leg pad for facilitating sliding of the medial side of the leg pad on a playing surface when the leg is moved, the slider being mounted beneath the outer covering and exposed through the opening of the outer covering to slide on the playing surface.   
     
     
         2 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider comprises: an undermounted portion disposed underneath and overlapped by the outer covering; and
 an exposed portion exposed through the opening of the outer covering and comprising a sliding surface to slide on the playing surface.   
     
     
         3 . The leg pad of  claim 2 , wherein the exposed portion projects outwardly relative to the undermounted portion. 
     
     
         4 . The leg pad of  claim 2 , wherein the undermounted portion surrounds the exposed portion. 
     
     
         5 . The leg pad of  claim 2 , wherein the undermounted portion is affixed to the outer covering. 
     
     
         6 . The leg pad of  claim 5 , wherein the undermounted portion is affixed to the outer covering by being sewed to the outer covering. 
     
     
         7 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider protrudes outwardly beyond an external surface of the outer covering. 
     
     
         8 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein a coefficient of friction between the slider and the playing surface is lower than a coefficient of friction between the outer covering and the playing surface. 
     
     
         9 . The leg pad of  claim 8 , wherein a ratio of the coefficient of friction between the slider and the playing surface and the coefficient of friction between the outer covering and the playing surface is no more than 0.9. 
     
     
         10 . The leg pad of  claim 8 , wherein a ratio of the coefficient of friction between the slider and the playing surface and the coefficient of friction between the outer covering and the playing surface is no more than 0.8. 
     
     
         11 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider is more rigid than the outer covering. 
     
     
         12 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider has a hardness of at least 60 durometers Shore D. 
     
     
         13 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider has a hardness of at least 80 durometers Shore D. 
     
     
         14 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider comprises polymeric material. 
     
     
         15 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider comprises at least one of polycarbonate and nylon. 
     
     
         16 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider comprises a sliding surface for facing and contacting the playing surface when the slider slides on the playing surface, the sliding surface being uneven such that, when the slider slides on the playing surface, less than all of the sliding surface contacts the playing surface. 
     
     
         17 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider comprises a sliding surface for facing and contacting the playing surface when the slider slides on the playing surface, the sliding surface being uneven such that a first part of the sliding surface projects outwardly relative to a second part of the sliding surface. 
     
     
         18 . The leg pad of  claim 17 , wherein, when the first part of the sliding surface contacts the playing surface, the second part of the sliding surface does not contact the playing surface. 
     
     
         19 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider comprises a sliding surface for facing and contacting the playing surface when the slider slides on the playing surface, the sliding surface comprising a first sliding contact area, a second sliding contact area, and a recess between the first sliding contact area and the second sliding contact area. 
     
     
         20 . The leg pad of  claim 19 , wherein each of the first sliding contact area and the second sliding contact area forms a peak of the sliding surface. 
     
     
         21 . The leg pad of  claim 19 , wherein the recess is a first recess and the sliding surface comprises a third sliding contact area and a second recess between the second sliding contact area and the third sliding contact area. 
     
     
         22 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider is elongated in a longitudinal direction of the leg pad. 
     
     
         23 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , comprising a foot portion for overlying a foot of the hockey goalkeeper, the slider being located in the foot portion. 
     
     
         24 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , comprising a lower leg portion for overlying a lower leg of the hockey goalkeeper, the slider being located in the lower leg portion. 
     
     
         25 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , comprising a knee portion for overlying a knee of the hockey goalkeeper, the slider being located in the knee portion. 
     
     
         26 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider is a first slider and the opening of the outer covering is a first opening, the outer covering comprising a second opening in the medial side of the leg pad, the leg pad comprising a second slider in the medial side of the leg pad for facilitating sliding of the medial side of the leg pad on the playing surface when the leg is moved, the second slider being mounted beneath the outer covering and exposed through the second opening of the outer covering to slide on the playing surface. 
     
     
         27 . The leg pad of  claim 26 , wherein the first slider and the second slider are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the leg pad. 
     
     
         28 . The leg pad of  claim 26 , wherein the first slider and the second slider are spaced apart in a thickness direction of the leg pad. 
     
     
         29 . The leg pad of  claim 26 , comprising a foot portion for overlying a foot of the hockey goalkeeper and a lower leg portion for overlying a lower leg of the hockey goalkeeper, the first slider being located in the foot portion, the second slider being located in the lower leg portion. 
     
     
         30 . The leg pad of  claim 26 , wherein the outer covering comprises a third opening in the medial side of the leg pad, the leg pad comprising a third slider in the medial side of the leg pad for facilitating sliding of the medial side of the leg pad on the playing surface when the leg is moved, the third slider being mounted beneath the outer covering and exposed through the third opening of the outer covering to slide on the playing surface. 
     
     
         31 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider is a first slider and the opening of the outer covering is a first opening, the outer covering comprising a second opening in the front of the leg pad, the leg pad comprising a second slider in the front of the leg pad for facilitating sliding of the front of the leg pad on the playing surface when the leg is moved, the second slider being mounted beneath the outer covering and exposed through the second opening of the outer covering to slide on the playing surface. 
     
     
         32 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the protective padding comprises foam. 
     
     
         33 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the outer covering comprises synthetic pliable material. 
     
     
         34 . The leg pad of  claim 33 , wherein the synthetic pliable material comprises polyurethane. 
     
     
         35 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the slider is removable from the leg pad. 
     
     
         36 . The leg pad of  claim 35 , wherein the leg pad comprises a removable part which is removably fastened to a main structure of the leg pad, the removable part comprising the slider and a portion of the outer covering. 
     
     
         37 . The leg pad of  claim 36 , wherein the slider is a first slider and the opening of the outer covering is a first opening, the outer covering comprising a second opening in the medial side of the leg pad, the leg pad comprising a second slider in the medial side of the leg pad for facilitating sliding of the medial side of the leg pad on the playing surface when the leg is moved, the second slider being mounted beneath the outer covering and exposed through the second opening of the outer covering to slide on the playing surface, the removable part comprising the second slider. 
     
     
         38 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the playing surface is a dry playing surface. 
     
     
         39 . The leg pad of  claim 38 , wherein the dry playing surface is a roller hockey playing surface and the leg pad is a roller hockey goalkeeper leg pad. 
     
     
         40 . A leg pad for a hockey goalkeeper, the leg pad being wearable on a leg of the hockey goalkeeper to protect the leg, the leg pad comprising a front, a medial side, and a lateral side respectively configured to be positioned adjacent to a front, a medial side, and a lateral side of the leg when the leg pad is worn on the leg, the leg pad comprising:
 a) protective padding;   b) an outer covering disposed over the protective padding, the outer covering comprising an opening in the medial side of the leg pad; and   c) a slider in the medial side of the leg pad for facilitating sliding of the medial side of the leg pad on a playing surface when the leg is moved, the slider comprising:
 i. an undermounted portion disposed underneath and overlapped by the outer covering; and 
 ii. an exposed portion exposed through the opening of the outer covering and comprising a sliding surface to slide on the playing surface. 
   
     
     
         41 . A leg pad for a hockey goalkeeper, the leg pad being wearable on a leg of the hockey goalkeeper to protect the leg, the leg pad comprising a front, a medial side, and a lateral side respectively configured to be positioned adjacent to a front, a medial side, and a lateral side of the leg when the leg pad is worn on the leg, the leg pad comprising:
 a) protective padding;   b) an outer covering disposed over the protective padding, the outer covering comprising an opening in the medial side of the leg pad; and   c) a slider in the medial side of the leg pad for facilitating sliding of the medial side of the leg pad on a playing surface when the leg is moved, the slider comprising:
 i. an undermounted portion disposed underneath and affixed to the outer covering; and 
 ii. an exposed portion exposed through the opening of the outer covering and comprising a sliding surface to slide on the playing surface. 
   
     
     
         42 . A leg pad for a hockey goalkeeper, the leg pad being wearable on a leg of the hockey goalkeeper to protect the leg, the leg pad comprising a front, a medial side, and a lateral side respectively configured to be positioned adjacent to a front, a medial side, and a lateral side of the leg when the leg pad is worn on the leg, the leg pad comprising:
 a) protective padding;   b) an outer covering disposed over the protective padding; and   a slider in the medial side of the leg pad for facilitating sliding of the medial side of the leg pad on a playing surface when the leg is moved, the slider being removable from the leg pad without removing at least a majority of the outer covering from the leg pad.