Athletic knee protector with bowed leaf spring structure

Claim 1

An athletic knee protector for protecting the knee of a wearer from forces and impacts directed toward the lateral side of a knee, which comprises: first and second pad means attachable respectively to the thigh and shin of the wearer; an upper leaf spring connected to said thigh pad means at a location spaced substantially above the knee and extending downwardly generally parallel to the thigh to a lower end portion located generally laterally of the knee; a lower leaf-spring having a lower end portion connected to said shin pad means and extending upwardly generally parallel to the shin to an upper end portion located generally laterally of the knee; and hinge means hingedly connecting said lower end portion of said upper leaf spring and said upper portion of said lower leaf spring, said hinge means providing substantially free anterior/posterior pivotal movement between said leaf springs corresponding to anterior/posterior pivotal movement of the knee, but providing a substantially rigid connection between said leaf springs in the lateral/medial direction; said leaf springs and said hinge means together defining a bowed leaf spring structure that is generally continuously bowed between said connection to said thigh pad means and said connection to said shin pad means, said leaf springs bowing laterally outwardly from their said connections to their respective said pad means so that said hinge means is substantially spaced laterally outward from the knee of the wearer; said bowed leaf spring structure being resiliently flexible in the lateral/medial direction so as to absorb forces and impacts directed toward the lateral side of the knee, distributing such forces and impacts in a cusioned manner through said thigh and shin pads to the thigh and shin, respectively, at locations substantially spaced from the knee, and spreading out the time of application of such forces and impacts so as to reduce the shock characteristics thereof.