Protective undergarment for use by a hockey player or hockey goaltender

Abstract

A protective undergarment comprising a waist portion comprising an elastic material and being dimensioned to be snugly worn about a waist of a body and of a wearer, a pair of leg portions comprising an elastic material and extending from the waist portion, each leg portion dimensioned to encircle a leg of the wearer's body and comprising an ankle portion comprising a cut-resistant material, and impact absorbing pads connected to a back side of each of said leg portions configured to protect a back of the wearer's legs, the impact absorbing pads comprising a lower pad to protect a calf portion of the wearer's legs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective undergarment comprising:
 a waist portion comprising an elastic material and being dimensioned to be snugly worn about a waist of a body and of a wearer;   a pair of leg portions comprising an elastic material and extending from the waist portion, each leg portion dimensioned to encircle a leg of the wearer's body and comprising an ankle portion comprising a cut-resistant material; and   impact absorbing pads connected to a back side of each of said leg portions configured to protect a back of the wearer's legs, the impact absorbing pads comprising a lower pad to protect a calf portion of the wearer's legs.   
     
     
         2 . The undergarment of  claim 1  wherein the impact absorbing pads comprise an upper pad to protect a back of a thigh portion of the wearer's legs. 
     
     
         3 . The undergarment of  claim 1  comprising a sock support connected to each of said leg portions, the sock support configured to secure a removable sock. 
     
     
         4 . The undergarment of  claim 3  wherein the sock support comprises at least one fastening member. 
     
     
         5 . The undergarment of  claim 4  wherein the at least one fastening member is one of a hook and loop and a garter-type hook. 
     
     
         6 . The undergarment of  claim 1  wherein the cut resistant material is a para-aramid synthetic material. 
     
     
         7 . The undergarment of  claim 1  comprising a crotch portion extending from a front of the waist portion, the crotch portion comprising a pocket configured to receive a genital protector. 
     
     
         8 . The undergarment of  claim 7  further comprising the genital protector, wherein the pocket is configured to permanently secure the genital protector therein. 
     
     
         9 . The undergarment of  claim 7  wherein the pocket is configured to releasably secure the genital protector therein. 
     
     
         10 . The undergarment of  claim 7  wherein the genital protector is one of a jock and a jill. 
     
     
         11 . The undergarment of  claim 7  wherein the genital protector is a genital protector for a hockey goaltender. 
     
     
         12 . The undergarment of  claim 1  wherein the leg portions are dimensioned to be worn underneath goaltender leg pads. 
     
     
         13 . The undergarment of  claim 12  wherein each lower pad is positioned to protect portions of the leg exposed when the undergarment is worn underneath goaltender leg pads. 
     
     
         14 . The undergarment of  claim 12  wherein each lower pad is positioned to be at least partially overlapped by back flaps of the goaltender leg pads.