Protective device

Abstract

An athletic cup having a shape generally designed to have the narrow portion fit between the legs of the user while the upper or wider portion extends up over the area of the body being protected. The cup has a larger primary portion formed from a resilient thermoplastic composition having a quantity of gas pockets dispersed therein formed by heating of a mixture of a blowing agent and a resilient thermoplastic material. The cup further includes a hard portion bonded to said primary portion and forming a cage like outer segment having a high degree of rigidity. The primary portion also includes a peripheral lip having a degree of flexibility for contact with the user to provide additional cushioning. In a preferred embodiment the primary portion extends into interstices in said hard portion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.