Apparel – Guard or protector – Hand or arm
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-19
2001-02-27
Hale, Gloria M. (Department: 3741)
Apparel
Guard or protector
Hand or arm
C002S059000, C002S170000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192519
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sports pad and, more particularly, to an athletic sports pad which can be worn by football players.
Contact sports, such as football, involve varying degrees of intentional contact between players and, thus, often require protective pads to be positioned and located on various parts of the body to protect the player from such contact. In football, players typically wear shoulder pads, hip pads, and the like, which are positioned under the uniform. More recently, football players wear elbow pads, forearm pads, and even hand pads. However, given the generally inflexible nature of such pads, the pads tend to restrict the ability of players to hold onto the football. This is especially true with forearm and hand pads.
Typical forearm pads are constructed of a tubular member, which is formed from an elastic material, and one or more pads which are either positioned in a sleeve provided in the tubular member or attached to the outer surface of the tubular member. The forearm pad, therefore, includes a padded portion, which is somewhat inflexible due to the pad, and an elastic portion, which stretches to permit the wearer of the pad to put the pad on the arm and to permit the wearer to a limited degree to bend his or her arm. When worn on the player's arm, the padded portion is positioned outwardly with the elastic portion facing inwardly toward the player's body. Thus, when the football player carries a ball, the football player must hold the football with his hand and position the football between the elastic portion of the forearm pad and the player's chest to protect the football from being knocked free from the player's grasp. However, the elastic material of the tubular member tends to reduce the football player's grip on the ball since the material has a low coefficient of friction as compared to the football player's skin. Although these forearm and hand pads are highly desirable to protect the hands and forearms of players, especially younger players, from the blows which are normally associated with such contact sports, players often forego wearing such protective gear to increase the player's ability to carry the ball.
Consequently, there is a need for a protective sports pad which permits the wearer of the sports pad to hold a football securely in the player's arm and still provide the adequate protection of the forearm or wrist of the football player against blows from other players.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and unique sports pad, which is especially suitable for protecting the forearms of football players. The sports pad includes a high friction surface which permits the football player to grip a football while wearing the pad. The high friction surface is preferably provided on at least an un-padded portion of the sports pad and may optionally extend around the full circumference of the sports pad.
According to one aspect of the invention, a sports pad includes a tubular member, which defines first and second opposed open ends. The tubular member includes a padded section for protecting an appendage, such as a forearm, of a wearer, such as a football player. The high friction material is formed on the tubular member, which extends from the first open end to the second open end and over at least a non-padded section of the tubular member.
In one preferred aspect, the tubular member includes a sleeve in which an impact absorbing member is inserted to define the padded section.
Preferably, the high friction surface comprises a pattern which is formed from a neoprene material, a vinyl material, a PVC material, a rubber material, or a latex material. Furthermore, the high friction surface preferably extends between the terminal edges of the padded section to thereby completely cover the un-padded portion of the tubular member.
In other forms, the first open end of the tubular member may include a looped portion, which extend over a thumb of a wearer of the sports pad. Preferably, the looped portion includes an outer surface which includes a high friction surface.
As will be understood, the sports pad of the present invention protects the appendage of the player without hampering the player's ability to hold a ball, such as a football. Preferably, the sports pad comprises a forearm pad however; however, the sports pad may be increased in size to extend the protection to the wrist of the wearer of the sports pad or may be reduced to localize the protection, for example, to the wrist area of the player.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes, and features of the invention become more apparent from a study of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
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Hale Gloria M.
Patel Tejash
Van Dyke Gardner, Linn & Burkhart, LLP
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