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 pad assembly adapted to cushion a knee of a workman while the workman kneels down on a work surface, said knee pad assembly comprising:
 an upper knee cushion manufactured from a flexible material; and   a lower base located under said upper knee cushion and manufactured from a non-compressible material, said lower base being positioned so as to lay on the work surface when the workman kneels down on the work surface, said flexible upper knee cushion having at least one compression opening formed therein, such that said upper knee cushion collapses into said compression opening and moves towards said non-compressible lower base located under said upper knee cushion in response to pressure generated by the workman's knee against the upper knee cushion when the workman kneels down and said lower base lays on the work surface.   
     
     
         2 . The knee pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , wherein said flexible upper knee cushion is manufactured from foam and said non-compressible lower base is manufactured from plastic. 
     
     
         3 . The knee pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , wherein said upper knee cushion has a depression formed therein and extending longitudinally therealong and being configured to receive therewithin at least the knee of the workmen when the workman kneels down on the work surface. 
     
     
         4 . The knee pad assembly recited in  claim 3 , wherein the depression formed in said upper knee cushion is sized to conform to the shape of and support both the knee and the shin of the workman. 
     
     
         5 . The knee pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , wherein said lower base is continuously curved along a longitudinal axis thereof so as to contact the work surface along a single line that runs laterally along said lower base and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis when the workman kneels down and rocks back and forth on the work surface such that the force generated by the work surface towards the workman's knee is evenly distributed along said continuously curved lower base. 
     
     
         6 . The knee pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , wherein said lower base has a U-shaped cavity extending longitudinally therealong and said upper knee cushion is received within said U-shaped cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The knee pad assembly recited in  claim 6 , wherein said upper knee cushion is adhesively bonded to said lower base within said U-shaped cavity. 
     
     
         8 . The knee pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , wherein said flexible upper knee cushion has a plurality of compression openings formed therein, such that upper knee cushion collapses into said plurality of compression openings to move with the workman's knee towards said non-compressible lower base so as to be compressed against said lower base in response to the pressure generated by the workman's knee against the upper knee cushion, whereby the workman's knee is suspended above the work surface by said upper knee cushion. 
     
     
         9 . The knee pad assembly recited in  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of compression openings formed in said upper knee cushion are channels that are arranged in spaced parallel alignment with one another. 
     
     
         10 . The knee pad assembly recited in  claim 9 , wherein the channels which form said plurality of compression openings in said knee cushion increase in their size from one end of said upper knee cushion to the opposite end. 
     
     
         11 . The knee pad assembly recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a knee pad strap connected to said lower base and being sized to surround the knee of the workman so as to hold said upper knee cushion on said lower base and against the knee of the workman.