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  Chest protector in sports medicineUSPTO Application #: 20060080762Title: Chest protector in sports medicine Abstract: A chest protector, in sports medicine, adapted for players of the athletic games, is light in weight and reasonably comfortable to wear. It will protect the heart and chest cavity area of players in such games as lacrosse, field hockey, and baseball. The chest protector includes a shirt, preferably of two-way stretch fabric, having a large front pocket across its chest area. A protector plate is positioned within the pocket. The protector plate is an assembly of molded layers, comprising inner-most and outer-most layers of plastic, preferably polyethylene sheets; a central layer of a high impact polymer pad, preferably a dry polyurethane gel; and two layers of high impact resistant fabric of high tensile strength fibers, preferably para-aramid fibers, with the polymer pad being sandwiched between the two layers of impact resistant fabric. (end of abstract) Agent: Eliot Gerber - Moraga, CA, US Inventors: Myles Kobren, Michael Mangino, Michael Eastwood, George Kvok W. Lau USPTO Applicaton #: 20060080762 - Class: 002463000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Apparel, Guard Or Protector, Chest Protector The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060080762. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to athletic equipment and more particularly to a sports medicine chest protector to protect the chest cavity and heart of players in contact sports, particularly lacrosse. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] At the present time a number of chest protectors, to protect players during athletic games, are widely used. For example, padded chest protectors are used in baseball, for the catcher, and they are used in lacrosse, field hockey, and in ice hockey for the goal keeper. [0003] However, in many sports, chest protectors are not used because the players must run in order to play the game and they do not want to wear heavily padded garments. This is less of a problem in those sports using large or soft balls. In those sports, such as soccer and basketball, the force of the ball, because it is large, is less likely to cause any damage to the body. However, in some sports the ball or puck is small and hard and may be propelled at high speed. For example, in lacrosse and baseball, the ball is both small and hard and may be thrown and or hit at speeds of between seventy and one hundred miles an hour, even in amateur games. [0004] In the past few years a number of injuries and deaths have resulted when children were hit in the chest by a lacrosse ball. A small number of schools, as a result, have installed automated external defibrillators to revive the child who goes into cardiac arrest from commotio cordis because of a shock to the chest. This program is limited, due to the cost of such defibrillators and the strong possibility that when they are needed neither the defibrillator nor someone trained in its use would be available. A review article, by Doctor Mark Link of the Tufts Medical Center, points out the significant percentage of deaths on the amateur lacrosse field are due to impact to the chest area, causing commotio cordis (sudden cardiac arrest). This problem is most frequently observed in young athletes, ages 4 to 18. The victims are most often suffering from ventricular fibrillation, a fast heartbeat rhythm which is life threatening. The Sport Science and Safety Committee of the U.S. Lacrosse Association has recently found that there are no chest protectors on the market, for lacrosse players, which they approved and which eliminate the risk of dying from chest injury when struck by a lacrosse ball. [0005] The United States patent literature includes various patents and published patent applications directed toward chest protectors in sports. Many of these are suitable for a baseball catcher who does not run around a field when catching pitched baseballs. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,299 to Chen, a baseball chest protector includes a pad body and a series of shock absorbent pad blocks. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,782 to Collins et al., a baseball chest protector includes an ambient air filled pouch assembly. [0006] Other patents are directed toward chest protectors for the players who normally run while playing. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,688 to Holliday, a bra-like chest protector for women athletes comprises a soft foam exterior and a hard, high density plastic internal breast plate. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,537 to Marion, an internal breast plate athletic safety jacket has a circular plate over the heart area. [0007] In U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,472 to Castellania, a sleeveless chest protector has pockets holding inflatable cushions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,035 to Mattila, relates to an upper body protector having semi-rigid chest and shoulder portions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,249 to Clemet discloses a chest protector having a plastic cap-like shaped plate attached to a rubber pad which protrudes from a soft terry cloth pocket. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,537 to Marioa an athletic jacket has rigid compressed, dense plastic foam pieces and a rigid hard shield over the heart. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] The present invention relates to a light-weight chest protector, in sports medicine, which is sufficiently light in weight and comfortable to wear so that it would be willingly worn by children and others when they play running sports, such as lacrosse. A chest protector plate fits snugly in a special large front pocket of a special shirt. The shirt is of a suitable plastic resin fabric, preferably a two way stretch fabric, such as "CyberKnit" (.TM. of Paul Gottlieb and Co.) The shirt is washable and wicks moisture away from the player's body. For example, the shirt's fabric may be made from polyester and polypropylene fibers. [0009] The "chest protector" is the combination of the shirt and the chest protector plate. The shirt and the plate come in a number of sizes, i.e. child, small, medium and large in order to fit various players, with the size of the protector plate conforming to the size of the shirt. [0010] In one preferred embodiment, the chest protector plate is molded, to curve like an average chest. The protector plate has inner-most and outer-most layers each of a plastic sheet, preferably low density polyethylene. The two plastic sheets are molded together to form an air tight pocket which encloses the other layers of the plate. In order, starting with the out-most layer (with respect to the players chest) the other layers are an impact resistant fabric of high tensile strength fibers, preferably "Kevlar" (.TM.DuPont); a layer of high impact polymer pad which disperses impact energy throughout the pad, the pad being preferably a visoelectric dry polymer, and most preferably a hybrid polyurethane elastomer and a second layer of the impact resistant fabric of high tensile strength fibers. The polymer pad is sandwiched between the two layers of high impact resistant fabric. The five layers are bonded and laminated together to form a unitary thin and lightweight protector plate. [0011] The chest protector of the present invention is especially useful in some sports, such as lacrosse and baseball. However, it is sufficiently light and comfortable so that it may be worn to protect players, particularly children, in other sports including soccer, field hockey, softball and touch football. [0012] Although the preferred way to position the chest protector plate is to enclose it within a large front shirt pocket which is across the width to the shirt, although the `shirt` may be a separate pocket held by straps on the chest of the player. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING [0013] The following detailed description of the invention should be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. In the drawing: [0014] FIG. 1 is a front plan view of the chest protector plate, partly broken away; [0015] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the chest protector plate; [0016] FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the shirt, partly cut away, showing its enclosed chest protector plate; and [0017] FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of a cross section of the chest protector plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the chest protector plate 10 is large enough to cover the heart and chest cavity area of the average sports player. Preferably the plate 10 is made in various sizes, for example child, small, medium, and large. The plate 10 has a central section 9 and curved left and curved right side flanges (as seen from the front) respectfully 11 and 12. The plate is taller on the left side than on the right side. [0019] In one prototype, which is a non-limiting example of the present invention, the chest protector plate is of a size suitable for a medium size player, about 120-160 pounds (adult male). It is 131/2 inches (34.3 cm) wide ("a" in FIG. 1); its height at the left side ("b" in FIG. 1) is 61/2 inches (16.5 cm); its height at the right side ("c" in FIG. 1) is 101/2 inches (26.7 cm); and its total thickness (except at its edges) is 3/8 inches (0.95 cm). The corners of the plate are rounded. The curvature of the plate 10 is a 2 inches curvature to the chest, and the curved right 11 and left flanges have a curvature having a radius of 7 inches (17.8 cm). The central section 9, also has a slight curvature which is bowed outwardly with respect to the chest. The central section 9 is 7 inches (17.8 cm) wide and the left 12("d" in FIG. 1) and right 13 ("E" in FIG. 1) flanges are each 61/4 inches (15.87 cm) wide. Continue reading... Full patent description for Chest protector in sports medicine Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Chest protector in sports medicine patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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