Protective pants for the hip

Claim 1

A protective device for aiding and preventing injury to the hip and upper femur comprising: pants made from resilient material having body cushioning properties and four pockets, said pockets being positioned with one pocket on each side of the back and one pocket on each side adjacent to the hip, all four pockets positioned in a manner to cover the hip and upper femur area of the wearer; two pairs of rigid pads; a first pair for placement within the pockets located on each side of the back and the second pair for placement within the pockets located on each side adjacent to the hip; the first pair of pads being fitted with reinforcement means spaced apart and running horizontally therein and allowing for flexibility of movement about a horizontal axis; a second pair of pads being fitted with reinforcement means spaced apart and running vertically and allowing for flexibility of movement about a vertical axis, said rigid reinforcement means for said first pair of pads varying in thickness from 3/4 inches to 1/4 inch from a top portion to a bottom portion of the pad and tapering in length from the top to the bottom of the pad.