Protective covering
AssigneeWarrior Sports, Inc.
InventorsDonald Allan Sandusky, Ryan Altenburger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A protective covering with a hard outer layer and a soft inner layer. The hard outer layer comprises a plurality of substantially rigid shape-retaining and interworking tiles anatomically conformed to a contoured object. The outer layer has sufficient flexibility to adjust its conformity to the object as the object's contour changes. The soft inner layer comprises a plurality of impact absorbing units. The protective covering provides impact resistance and is designed to remain securely in place and protective of the object even when the contour of the object changes.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing a protective garment for a contoured body part of a user, the method comprising:
- providing an outer layer that is conformable to said contoured body part, said outer layer including a plurality of outer layer tiles, each individual outer layer tile having an upper surface and a lower surface, each individual outer layer tile having a three-dimensional shape, each individual outer layer tile formed from a substantially rigid, shape-retaining material, each individual outer layer tile including an outer edge that forms a boundary of the respective individual outer layer tile;
- bonding the plurality of outer layer tiles permanently and directly to a fabric support, with the outer edges of adjacent individual outer layer tiles positioned adjacent one another, but with a gap defined therebetween, the fabric support having a perimeter;
- placing an inner layer component adjacent the fabric support opposite the plurality of outer layer tiles;
- and
- joining substantially only the perimeter of the fabric support with the inner layer component so that the fabric support and plurality of tiles are adapted to orient themselves to mimic the contours of the contoured body part.
A method for manufacturing a protective garment for a contoured body part of a user, the method comprising:
- providing a mold of a contoured body part of a user;
- placing an outer layer adjacent the mold of the contoured body part of the user to form a plurality of outer layer tiles that collectively conform to contours of the contoured body part, each individual outer layer tile having an upper surface and a lower surface, each individual outer layer tile having a three-dimensional shape, each individual outer layer tile formed from a substantially rigid, shape-retaining material, each individual outer layer tile including an outer edge that forms a boundary of the respective outer layer tile;
- cutting out the plurality of outer layer tiles from the outer layer to form the plurality of outer layer tiles while the outer layer is on the mold of a contoured body part of the user;
- joining the outer layer with a second layer, with the outer edges of adjacent individual outer layer tiles positioned adjacent one another, but with a gap defined therebetween, wherein the outer layer tiles are positioned so that the outer layer tiles continue to be in substantially the same location so as to collectively conform to the contours of the contoured body part;
- and
- removing the outer layer and second layer from the mold of a contoured body part of the user.
A method for manufacturing a protective garment for a contoured body part of a user, the method comprising:
- providing a mold shell of a contoured body part of a user, the mold being constructed from a substantially rigid, shape-retaining material;
- selectively dividing the mold shell into a plurality of outer layer tiles that collectively form contours of the contoured body part, each individual outer layer tile having an upper surface and a lower surface, each individual outer layer tile having a shape corresponding to the location where the individual outer layer tile is positioned relative to the contoured body part, each individual outer layer tile formed from the substantially rigid, shape-retaining material, each individual outer layer tile including an outer edge that forms a boundary of the respective outer layer tile;
- placing the plurality of outer layer tiles adjacent a second layer;
- and
- joining the plurality of outer layer tiles with the second layer, with the outer edges of adjacent individual outer layer tiles positioned adjacent one another, the outer layer tiles being joined generally in the same relative location where the outer layer tiles were positioned relative to the contoured body part so as to collectively conform to the contours of the contoured body part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.