Protective Garment

Abstract

The invention provides a protective garment tailored for ice hockey players to safeguard critical areas susceptible to blade injuries. This garment includes a collar, left and right sleeves with specific upper arm and forearm portions, and a torso portion. Strategically integrated portions of cut-resistant polyethylene material are present in the collar and forearm sections. Some embodiments also incorporate other fabrics, such as aramid variants, while non-cut-resistant sections may be made from blends like polyester and spandex. The collar may take various forms to provide the wearer with configurable protection.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective sports garment, the garment comprising:
 a collar;   a left sleeve having a left upper arm portion and a left forearm portion;   a right sleeve having a right upper arm portion and a right forearm portion;   a torso portion extending between said left and right sleeves and adjacent to said collar;   wherein the said left and right forearm portions are formed of a cut-resistant material, one or more of the collar, left forearm, and right forearm portions comprising polyethylene as the cut-resistant material.   
     
     
         2 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein said polyethylene is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. 
     
     
         3 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the cut-resistant portions comprise or are reinforced by an aramid fabric. 
     
     
         4 . The protective garment of any of  claim 1 , wherein said torso portion and said left and right upper arm portions are made from a non-cut-resistant material. 
     
     
         5 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein said non-cut-resistant material comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of spandex, polyester, synthetic, microfiber, nylon, and polypropylene fabrics. 
     
     
         6 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , further comprising a placket extending through said collar and a yoke of said torso portion, wherein said placket facilitates donning and removal of said protective garment. 
     
     
         7 . The protective garment of  claim 6 , wherein said placket includes hook and loop fasteners for transitioning between an open and closed position. 
     
     
         8 . The protective garment of  claim 6 , wherein said placket further includes one or more selected from the group consisting of buttons, zippers, studs, buckles, snap fasteners, and eyelets for transitioning between the open and closed positions. 
     
     
         9 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein said left and right upper arm portions comprise high friction gripping elements on their outer surfaces. 
     
     
         10 . The protective garment of  claim 9 , wherein said gripping elements comprise silicon dots. 
     
     
         11 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , further comprising cuffs on said left and right sleeves formed of a non-cut-resistant material. 
     
     
         12 . The protective garment of  claim 11 , wherein said cuffs on said left and right sleeves form thumbholes. 
     
     
         13 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein the collar is a turtle-neck style collar formed of cut-resistant material. 
     
     
         14 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , wherein the collar has an opening with a Velcro or zipper closing mechanism. 
     
     
         15 . The protective garment of  claim 1 , further comprising an adjustable neck piece which is detachable from the collar and configured to be positioned over a portion of the collar.