Neck Guard

Abstract

The invention relates to a neck guard having an impact guarding insert. The neck guard has a body with a top with two tabs, a bottom, two ends, a front side, and a back side. A cavity is formed within the neck guard for containing the insert. The insert can be a removable insert that is selectably inserted and removed through an opening in the front side of the neck guard. The insert can also be permanently secured within the cavity. The insert can have a plurality of honeycomb shaped holes through it, and it is preferably made of a flexible and compressible material. The insert has tabs that can be aligned with and mate with tabs of the neck guard body. The body also has a bib at the bottom of the neck guard. The insert is also positioned through interfacing with the top of the bib.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A neck guard comprising:
 a body with:
 a first end, a second end, a top, a bottom, a front, a rear, a bib, a cavity, a first body tab and a second body tab, said cavity having an interior portion including said first body tab and said second body tab, said bib having a first side upper end and a second side upper end; and 
   an insert having a first insert tab, and a second insert tab, a first lower side and a second lower side,   wherein:
 said first insert tab interfaces with said first body tab and said second insert tab interfaces with said second body tab to position said insert within said cavity, and 
 said first lower side and said second lower side are bound by said first side upper end and said second side upper end. 
   
     
     
         2 . The neck guard of  claim 1  wherein said cavity has a base in an upper portion of said bib. 
     
     
         3 . The neck guard of  claim 1  wherein said insert is selectably removable from said body through an opening. 
     
     
         4 . The neck guard of  claim 3  wherein said opening is through said front of said body. 
     
     
         5 . The neck guard of  claim 4  wherein said opening is centered on said front and is located in upper portion of said bib. 
     
     
         6 . The neck guard of  claim 4  wherein said opening is selectably closed with a flap. 
     
     
         7 . The neck guard of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said insert has a width,   said opening has a length, and   said width of said insert is greater than said length of said opening.   
     
     
         8 . The neck guard of  claim 1  wherein said insert has a plurality of hexagon-shaped holes form therethrough between an insert front and an insert back. 
     
     
         9 . The neck guard of  claim 1  further comprising an anti-laceration layer, said anti-laceration layer being located on an inside of said body. 
     
     
         10 . A neck guard comprising:
 a body with a first end, a second end, a top, a bottom, a front, a rear, and a cavity; and   an insert, said insert being removably receivable within said cavity through an opening through said front of said body.   
     
     
         11 . The neck guard of  claim 10 , wherein said opening is centered on said front of said body. 
     
     
         12 . The neck guard of  claim 10 , wherein said opening is selectably covered with a flap. 
     
     
         13 . The neck guard of  claim 10 , wherein:
 said body has a bib, a first body tab and a second body tab, said cavity having an interior portion including said first body tab and said second body tab, said cavity having a base in an upper portion of said bib, said bib having a first side upper end and a second side upper end;   said insert has a first insert tab, a second insert tab, a first lower side and a second lower side;   said first insert tab interfaces with said first body tab and said second insert tab interfaces with said second body tab to position said insert within said cavity; and   said first lower side and said second lower side are bound by said first side upper end and said second side upper end above said base.   
     
     
         14 . The neck guard of  claim 10 , wherein:
 said body has an anti-laceration layer;   said anti-laceration layer forms a rear wall of said cavity;   said insert has a width,   said opening has a length, and   said width of said insert is greater than said length of said opening.   
     
     
         15 . The neck guard of  claim 10  wherein said insert has a plurality of hexagon-shaped holes form therethrough between an insert front and an insert back. 
     
     
         16 . A method of using a neck guard, the method comprising the steps:
 providing a body having a first end, a second end, a top, a bottom, a front, a rear, and a cavity;   providing an opening into said cavity on the front of the body, wherein the cavity be selectably accessible via the opening;   providing an insert; and   selectably inserting the insert into the cavity via the opening.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of providing the opening into said cavity further comprises the step of proving an opening centered on the front of the body. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein:
 the step of proving a body further comprises the step of providing a bib, a first body tab and a second body tab, said cavity having an interior portion including said first body tab and said second body tab, said cavity having a base in an upper portion of said bib, said bib having a first side upper end and a second side upper end; 
 the step of providing the insert comprises providing an insert with a first insert tab, a second insert tab, a first lower side and a second lower side; and 
 the step of selectably inserting the insert into the cavity further comprises the step of having the first insert tab interface with the first body tab and the second insert tab interface with the second body tab to position the insert within the cavity and having the first lower side and the second lower side be bound by said first side upper end and said second side upper end above the base. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the step of providing a body further comprises the step of providing an anti-laceration layer that forms a rear wall of the cavity;   the step of providing an insert further comprises the step of providing an insert with a width;   the step of providing an opening further comprises the step of providing an opening with a length, the length of the opening being shorter than the width of the insert.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the step of providing an insert further comprises the step of providing an insert with a plurality of hexagon-shaped holes form therethrough between an insert front and an insert back.