Protective pad assembly including inner member and outer protective pad releasably attachable thereto

Abstract

A protective pad assembly for removably positioning on an arm or a leg of a user of the protective pad assembly for protecting an elbow or a knee of the user. The protective pad assembly comprises an inner member adapted to be positioned adjacent the elbow or the knee of the user so as to encircle the arm or the leg of the user, at least inner securing component mounted to the inner member, an outer protective pad adapted to be positioned over the elbow or the knee of the user and aligned with the elbow or the knee of the user, and at least one outer securing component mounted to the outer protective pad. The at least one outer securing component is releasably attachable to the at least one inner securing component. The outer protective pad is configured to be disposed over the inner member.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective pad assembly for removably positioning on an arm or a leg of a user of the protective pad assembly for protecting an elbow or a knee of the user, the protective pad assembly comprising:
 an inner member adapted to be positioned adjacent the elbow or the knee of the user so as to encircle the arm or the leg of the user;   at least one inner securing component mounted to the inner member;   an outer protective pad adapted to be positioned over the elbow or the knee of the user and aligned with the elbow or the knee of the user, the outer protective pad configured to be disposed over the inner member; and   at least one outer securing component mounted to the outer protective pad;   the at least one outer securing component being releasably attachable to the at least one inner securing component.   
     
     
         2 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one inner securing component includes two inner securing components each mounted to the inner member, wherein the at least one outer securing component includes two outer securing components each mounted to the outer protective pad, and wherein each of the outer securing components is releasably attachable to one of the inner securing components. 
     
     
         3 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein each of the inner securing components includes an inner securing member, and wherein each of the outer securing components includes an outer strap member mounted to the outer protective pad and an outer securing member secured to the outer strap member. 
     
     
         4 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 3 , wherein the inner securing member is an inner magnetically attractive element, wherein the outer securing member is an outer magnetically attractive element, and wherein the outer magnetically attractive elements and the inner magnetically attractive elements are magnetically attachable to each other. 
     
     
         5 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 4 , wherein one of the inner magnetically attractive elements and the outer magnetically attractive elements includes a magnet for magnetically attaching the inner and outer securing members together. 
     
     
         6 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the other one of the inner magnetically attractive elements and the outer magnetically attractive elements includes a magnet. 
     
     
         7 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the other one of the inner magnetically attractive elements and the outer magnetically attractive elements are ferromagnetic and are not magnets. 
     
     
         8 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 3 , wherein each of the inner securing members includes fastener hooks or loops, wherein each of the outer securing members includes complementary fastener hooks or loops, and wherein the hooks or loops of the outer securing members are releasably attachable to the complementary hooks or loops of the inner securing members. 
     
     
         9 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 2 , wherein each of the inner securing members includes one of a female snap member and a male snap member, wherein each of the outer securing members includes complementary one of the male snap member and the female snap member, and wherein the one of the male snap member and the female snap member of the outer securing members are releasably attachable to the complementary one of the female snap member and the male snap member of the inner securing members. 
     
     
         10 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the inner member is an elastic inner member. 
     
     
         11 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the elastic inner member is an elastic sleeve having a height greater than a width thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the elastic sleeve is configured to be positioned below the elbow or the knee of the user. 
     
     
         13 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the elastic sleeve is configured to be positioned over the elbow or the knee of the user. 
     
     
         14 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the elastic inner member is an elastic band having a height lesser than a width thereof, and wherein the elastic band is configured to be positioned below the elbow or the knee of the user. 
     
     
         15 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 3 , wherein each of the outer strap members includes an adjustable outer strap and an adjusting buckle including a stationary center bar, two outer bars and two slots therebetween, and wherein the adjusting buckle is configured to feed the outer strap through the slots thereof to allow adjusting a length of the outer strap. 
     
     
         16 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 3 , wherein each of the outer strap members includes an adjustable outer strap and a sliding bar buckle including a frame member having two outer bars and a sliding center bar mounted to the frame member between the outer bars so as to define two slots therebetween, and wherein the sliding bar buckle is configured to allow the outer strap to be fed through the slots to allow adjusting a length of the outer strap. 
     
     
         17 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 3 , wherein each of the inner securing members is one of a side release male buckle and a side release female buckle, wherein each of the outer securing members includes complementary one of the side release male buckle and the side release female buckle, and wherein the one of the side release male buckle and the side release female buckle of the outer securing members are releasably attachable to the complementary one of the side release female buckle and the side release female buckle of the inner securing members. 
     
     
         18 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the inner member is an adjustable band having longitudinally opposite distal ends releasably attachable to one another when the adjustable band encircles the arm or the leg of the user. 
     
     
         19 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the longitudinally opposite distal ends of the adjustable band are releasably secured to each other by a hook and loop connection. 
     
     
         20 . The protective pad assembly as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising an outer protective cap configured to be mounted to the outer protective pad. 
     
     
         21 . A method for protecting an elbow or a knee of a user, the method comprising the steps of:
 placing an inner member of a protective pad assembly adjacent the elbow or the knee of the user so as to encircle an arm or a leg of the user, the protective pad assembly including at least one inner securing component mounted to the inner member;   placing an outer protective pad of the protective pad assembly over the inner member and over the elbow or the knee of the user so as to align the outer protective pad with the elbow or the knee of the user, the protective pad assembly including at least one outer securing component mounted to the outer protective pad; and   engaging the at least one outer securing component with the at least one inner securing component;   the at least one outer securing component being releasably attachable to the at least one inner securing component.