Protective knee brace

A protective knee brace comprising:

• an upper brace member having a laterally curved shell and a padded member securely lining a back side of said curved shell, said upper brace member being adapted to fit about a user's leg above and including the knee, said curved shell of said upper brace member including a front portion having an outwardly and forwardly protruding portion near a bottom thereof, said curved shell of said upper brace member including first and second side portions each of which has an end portion which extends downwardly below said bottom of said front portion thereof, said padded member being essentially thinsulate fabric and said curved shell being essentially a high-impact material;
• a lower brace member having a laterally curved shell and a padded member securely lining a back side of said curved shell, said lower brace member being adapted to fit about a user leg below and including the knee, said upper brace member having a lower portion which overlaps an upper portion of said lower brace member, said curved shell of said lower brace member including a front portion having an outwardly and forwardly protruding portion near a top thereof, said outwardly and forwardly protruding portion of said lower brace member being adapted to receive the user's knee, said outwardly and forwardly protruding portion of said upper brace member being adapted to receive said outwardly and forwardly protruding portion of said lower brace member, said end portions of said side portions of said upper brace member and said outwardly protruding portion of said upper brace member overlapping said upper portion of said lower brace member, said padded member being essentially a thinsulate fabric and said curved shell being essentially a high-impact material;
• a plurality of fastening members a first ones of which are securely attached to said upper brace member for securing said upper brace member about the user's leg, and second ones of which are securely attached to said lower brace member for securing said lower brace member about the user's leg, each of said fastening members including a strap being securely attached to a respective said brace member and being adapted to wrap about a user's leg, and also including a buckle also being securely attached to a respective said brace member and being adapted to receive an end portion of a respective said strap, said first ones of said fastening members including a pair of said fastening members being securely attached near a top of said upper brace member, said second ones of said fastening members including a pair of said fastening members being securely attached near said bottom of said lower brace member;
• a plurality of tracks disposed in said lower portion of said upper brace member, said tracks including a first one of said tracks which is disposed in and extends along one of said end portions of said curved shell of said upper brace member, and also including a second one of said tracks which is disposed in and extends along the other of said end portions of said curved shell of said upper brace member;
• a plurality of roller members securely mounted to an exterior of said lower brace member to either side thereof and being adapted to be movably received in said tracks, said roller members being essentially roller bearings which extend outwardly of said lower brace member;
• and
• a plurality of stop members securely attached to an exterior of said lower brace member to prevent rearward movement of said lower portion of said upper brace member relative to the user's knee, each of said end portions of said curved shell of said upper brace member including a rearwardly curved end which is adapted to limit movement of said upper brace member by coming into contact with a respective said stop members, said stop members including a first set of said stop members which are disposed intermediate of a front and one of said sides of said lower brace member, said first set of said stop members being aligned and spaced along a length of said lower brace member and disposed intermediate of said top and a bottom of said lower brace member, said stop members including a second set of said stop members which are disposed intermediate of a front and the other of said sides of said low brace member, said second set of said stop members being aligned and spaced along a length of said lower brace member and disposed intermediate of said top and said bottom of said lower brace member, said stop members being essentially button-like bearing members which extend outwardly of said curved shell of said lower brace member.