Shoulder pads and other protective gear for upper body protection

Abstract

An article of protective gear (e.g., shoulder pads) for protecting an upper body of a wearer (e.g., a hockey, lacrosse, football, or other contact-sport player), in which the article of protective gear is configured to protect a thorax of the wearer and arms of the wearer against impacts (e.g., with other players, boards, pucks, balls, hockey sticks, lacrosse sticks, etc., which may be encountered during hockey, lacrosse, football or another contact sport), efficiently and conveniently, such as by integrating thorax (e.g., chest and shoulder) protection and arm protection into a unitary protective garment (e.g., which may be donned, doffed, and carried as a one-piece garment) while remaining lightweight and providing ventilation (e.g., for enhanced heat management, drying, etc.).

1 . An article of protective gear for protecting an upper body of a wearer against impacts, the article of protective gear comprising:
 a front member configured to protect a front side of a thorax of the wearer;   a back member configured to protect a back side of the thorax of the wearer;   shoulder protectors configured to protect shoulders of the wearer;   sleeves connected to the shoulder protectors, configured to receive arms of the wearer, and comprising a plurality of arm protectors configured to protect the arms of the wearer; and   openings configured to leave at least part of a left side of the thorax of the wearer and at least part of a right side of the thorax of the wearer uncovered by the article of protective gear.   
     
     
         2 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein the front member, the back member, the shoulder protectors and the sleeves are donnable and doffable all at once. 
     
     
         3 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeves are separate and spaced from the front member and the back member. 
     
     
         4 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein the openings are configured to leave armpit regions of the wearer uncovered by the article of protective gear. 
     
     
         5 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein each opening covers an area of at least 300 cm 2 . 
     
     
         6 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein: the at least part of the left side of the thorax of the wearer comprises an upper region of the left side of the thorax of the wearer; the at least part of the rights side of the thorax of the wearer comprises an upper region of the right side of the thorax of the wearer; the article of protective gear comprises lower rib protectors configured to cover a lower region of the left side of the thorax of the wearer and a lower region of the right side of the thorax of the wearer; and the openings extends between the front member, the back member, the sleeves, and the lower rib protectors. 
     
     
         7 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein the front member comprises a front panel configured to cover at least part of the front side of the thorax of the wearer, and a front shield disposed over the front panel to cover a sternum region of the thorax of the wearer. 
     
     
         8 . The article of protective gear of  claim 7 , wherein the front panel comprises a fabric liner and a foam body covering at least part of the fabric liner. 
     
     
         9 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The article of protective gear of  claim 7 , wherein the front shield is molded into shape. 
     
     
         13 .- 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein: the front member comprises a front panel for covering the front side of the thorax of the wearer, and a front shield disposed over the front panel to cover a sternum region of the thorax of the wearer; and the back member comprises a back panel to cover the back side of the thorax of the wearer, and a back shield disposed over the back panel to cover a thoracic spinal region of the thorax of the wearer. 
     
     
         24 . The article of protective gear of  claim 23 , wherein the front panel and the back panel are continuous and integral with one another. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein the article comprises a collar configured to protect a sternal angle region of the wearer, the collar being affixed to the front member and to the back member. 
     
     
         27 . The article of protective gear of  claim 26 , wherein the collar comprises a foam core and a fabric liner. 
     
     
         28 . The article of protective gear of  claim 27 , wherein the collar is affixed to the front member, to the back member and to the shoulder protectors of the article. 
     
     
         29 .- 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeves are integrated with at least one of the front member, the back member and the shoulder protectors. 
     
     
         38 . The article of protective gear of  claim 37 , wherein: the shoulder protectors comprise an inner liner comprising a fabric, an outer cover comprising a fabric, and a padding disposed between the liner and the cover; and the fabric of the inner liner and the fabric of the outer cover extend beyond the shoulder protectors and form a base of the sleeves. 
     
     
         39 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein each sleeve is configured to enclose at least a majority of a surface area of a respective one of the arms of the wearer. 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein each sleeve is configured to enclose a respective one of the arms of the wearer along at least a majority of a length of the respective one of the arms of the wearer. 
     
     
         42 .- 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeves are strapless. 
     
     
         47 . The article of protective gear of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeves comprise a base which supports the arm protectors. 
     
     
         48 . The article of protective gear of  claim 47 , wherein the base defines at least one pocket to accommodate at least one of the arm protectors. 
     
     
         49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . The article of protective gear of  claim 47 , wherein the arm protectors comprise elbow caps for protecting elbows of the wearer. 
     
     
         52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . The article of protective gear of  claim 51 , wherein the elbow caps are affixed to the base of the sleeves. 
     
     
         54 .- 57 . (canceled) 
     
     
         58 . The article of protective gear of  claim 47 , wherein the arm protectors comprise forearm protectors for protecting left and right forearms of the wearer. 
     
     
         59 .- 62 . (canceled) 
     
     
         63 . The article of protective gear of  claim 47 , wherein the sleeves comprise wrist guards for protecting left and right wrists of the wearer. 
     
     
         64 . The article of protective gear of claim  62 , wherein the wrist guards are affixed to the base at distal ends of the sleeves. 
     
     
         65 - 79 . (canceled) 
     
     
         80 . An article of protective gear for protecting an upper body of a wearer against impacts, the article of protective gear comprising:
 a front member configured to protect a front side of a thorax of the wearer;   a back member configured to protect a back side of the thorax of the wearer;   shoulder protectors configured to protect shoulders of the wearer;   sleeves connected to the shoulder protectors, configured to receive arms of the wearer, and comprising a plurality of arm protectors configured to protect the arms of the wearer; and   openings configured to leave left and right armpit regions of the wearer uncovered by the article of protective gear.   
     
     
         81 . An article of protective gear for protecting an upper body of a wearer against impacts, the article of protective gear comprising:
 a front member configured to protect a front side of a thorax of the wearer;   a back member configured to protect a back side of the thorax of the wearer;   shoulder protectors configured to protect shoulders of the wearer;   sleeves connected to the shoulder protectors, configured to receive arms of the wearer, comprising a plurality of arm protectors configured to protect the arms of the wearer, the sleeves comprising a base for supporting the arm protectors, the arm protectors comprising elbow caps configured to protect left and right elbows of the wearer, the elbow caps being affixed to the base of the sleeves.