Knee pad assembly

Abstract

A knee pad assembly is disclosed to protect the knee of a workman who kneels down while working on a work surface. The knee pad assembly includes a flexible upper knee cushion at which to receive and cover the workman's knee and a rigid lower base that lies on the work surface below the upper knee cushion. The lower base has a continuously curved bottom to rock back and forth on the work surface when the workman shifts his weight while kneeling. The upper knee cushion and the lower base are held one above the other against the knee of the workman by a knee pad strap that is wrapped around the workman's leg. A pair of springs (e.g., flexible carbon fiber sheets having a spring memory) extend across the lower base below the upper knee cushion so as to suspend the workman's knee above the work surface and flex in response to the workman's knee pushing down on the knee cushion.

1 . A knee and shin pad assembly having first and opposite ends and being sized to cushion the knee and shin of a workman while the workman kneels on a work surface, said knee and shin pad assembly comprising:
 a knee pad located at the first end of said knee and shin pad assembly and including an upper knee cushion manufactured from a cushion material and configured to receive thereagainst the knee of the workman and a lower knee cushion base located below said upper knee cushion and manufactured from a material that is harder than the cushion material from which said upper knee cushion is manufactured, said lower knee cushion base being curved along a longitudinal axis thereof such that said knee pad rocks back and forth when the workman kneels on the work surface and shifts his weight back and forth; and   a shin support located at the opposite end of said knee and shin pad assembly and including an upper shin cushion manufactured from a cushion material and configured to receive thereagainst the shin of the workman and a lower shin cushion base located below said upper shin cushion and manufactured from material that is harder than the cushion material from which said upper shin cushion is manufactured, said shin support rocking back and forth with said kneepad when the workman shifts his weight back and forth.   
     
     
         2 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , wherein said shin support is detachably connected to said knee pad. 
     
     
         3 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 2 , wherein the lower shin cushion base of said shin support has at least one coupling tab and a lower knee cushion base of said knee pad has at least one coupling slot formed therein within which to removably receive said at least one coupling tab by which said shin support is detachably connected to said knee pad. 
     
     
         4 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axis along which the lower knee cushion base of said knee pad is curved is sized to extend continuously from the knee of the workman to the shin of the workman. 
     
     
         5 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , wherein said shin support also includes a shin support coupler connected between the lower shin cushion base of said shin support and the lower knee cushion base of said knee pad by which said shin support and said kneepad are coupled to one another. 
     
     
         6 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 5 , wherein the shin support coupler of said shin support is detachably connected to said knee pad. 
     
     
         7 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 5 , wherein the shin support coupler of said shin support has a pivot around which said shin support coupler rotates to thereby cause a corresponding rotation of said shin support with said knee pad to which said shin support is coupled when the workman shifts his weight back and forth. 
     
     
         8 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 5 , further comprising a knee pad strap removably attached to the shin support coupler of said shin support and sized to be wrapped around the leg of the workman such that said knee pad is held against the leg and over the knee of the workman. 
     
     
         9 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 5 , further comprising a first piece of fastener material attached to the shin support coupler of said shin support and a complementary piece of fastener material attached to the lower knee cushion base of said knee pad, said first and complementary pieces of fastener material being mated to one another, whereby said shin support is attached to said knee pad. 
     
     
         10 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a shin support strap removably attached to the lower shin cushion base of said shin support and sized to be wrapped around the shin of the workman such that said shin support is held against the workman's shin. 
     
     
         11 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a spring sheet located between the upper knee cushion and the lower knee cushion base of said knee pad to undergo a compression in response to the workman's knee pressing down on the upper knee cushion towards the lower knee cushion base when the workman kneels on the work surface and the workman's knee is received against said upper knee cushion, said spring sheet being manufactured from a flexible material having a spring memory. 
     
     
         12 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 11 , wherein the lower knee cushion base of said knee pad has first and opposite sides and first and opposite shoulders extending from respective ones of said first and opposite sides, such that said spring sheet lies on and is supported by said first and opposite shoulders at said first and opposite sides so as to extend laterally across said lower knee cushion base between the first and opposite shoulders thereof such that the upper knee cushion of said knee pad lays on said spring sheet so as to suspend the workman's knee above the work surface. 
     
     
         13 . The knee and shin pad assembly recited in  claim 12 , further comprising a compression space located between the spring sheet and the lower knee cushion base of said knee pad, said spring sheet on which said upper knee cushion lays being held by said first and opposite shoulders above said compression space and bending into said compression space so that said upper knee cushion moves towards said lower knee cushion base in response to the workman's knee pressing down on said upper knee cushion.