Hockey goaltender leg pads

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a hockey goalkeeper leg pad includes securing a medial pad to the medial section of an outer shell. The medial pad has a longitudinal pad extending longitudinally between a top end and a bottom end in a vertical direction, and a knee pad monolithically protruding rearwardly from the longitudinal pad in a direction transverse to the vertical direction. A core padding is inserted inside the pocket of the outer shell. An opening of the pocket is closed by securing a rear edge of the medial section to a medial edge of a rear section, such that a thickness of the medial pad at an intersection between the knee pad and the longitudinal pad is substantially equal to the thickness of the medial pad at opposite sides of the intersection, and wherein the medial pad is free of a hinge connection at the intersection.

1 . A method of manufacturing a hockey goalkeeper leg pad, comprising:
 obtaining an outer shell defining a pocket, the outer shell having a facing section, a rear section, a medial section, and a lateral section;   securing a medial pad to the medial section of the outer shell, the medial pad having a longitudinal pad and a knee pad, the longitudinal pad extending longitudinally between a top end and a bottom end in a vertical direction, the knee pad monolithically protruding rearwardly from the longitudinal pad in a transverse direction, the transverse direction being transverse to the vertical direction;   inserting a core padding inside the pocket of the outer shell; and   closing an opening of the pocket by securing a rear edge of the medial section of the outer shell to a medial edge of the rear section of the outer shell by contouring a perimeter of the knee pad such that a thickness of the medial pad at an intersection between the knee pad and the longitudinal pad is substantially equal to the thickness of the medial pad at opposite sides of the intersection, wherein the medial pad is free of a hinge connection at the intersection.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the closing of the pocket includes enclosing the knee pad between a protrusion of the rear section of the outer shell and a protrusion of the medial section of the outer shell such that the medial section of the outer shell is free of direct connection to the rear section at the intersection between the longitudinal pad and the knee pad. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obtaining of the outer shell includes securing together top edges and bottom edges of the facing section and the rear section. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , comprising orienting outer faces of the facing section and of the rear section toward one another before the securing together of the top edges and the bottom edges of the facing section and of the rear section. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , comprising flipping the outer shell inside out until inner faces of the facing section and of the rear section face one another. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , comprising securing a lateral edge of the rear section to an edge of the lateral section before the flipping of the outer shell inside out such that the top edges, the bottom edges, the lateral edge of the rear section, and the edge of the lateral section are located inside the pocket. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell defines a core volume receiving the core padding, a knee volume, and a longitudinal volume, the method comprising inserting the knee pad inside the knee volume and inserting the longitudinal pad inside the longitudinal volume.