Protective garment for the hip

Claim 1

A protective garment for a hip joint and hip of a person, comprising: a pair of shorts extending from a waist opening superiorly to two leg openings inferiorly; the garment having a front section anteriorly, an upper right lateral section rightward laterally adjacent to the front section, a lower right lateral section inferiorly adjacent to the upper right lateral section, an upper left lateral section leftward laterally adjacent to the front section, a lower left lateral section inferiorly adjacent to the upper left lateral section, a lower right medial section medially adjacent the lower right lateral section and inferiorly adjacent the front section, a lower left medial section medially adjacent the lower left lateral section and inferiorly adjacent the front section, an upper back section posteriorly adjacent and between the upper right lateral and upper left lateral sections and a lower back section inferiorly adjacent the upper back section and posteriorly adjacent and between the upper right lateral and upper left lateral sections; the garment further having protective padding suitable for absorbing or dispersing energy transmitted to the hip during a fall, the padding being in combination with the upper right lateral section, the lower right lateral section, the upper left lateral section and the lower left lateral section; wherein the padding in combination with the upper right lateral section is separated from the padding in combination with the lower right lateral section by a first gap, wherein the padding in combination with the upper left lateral section is separated from the padding in combination with the lower left lateral section by a second gap wherein the padding is substantially, solely configured to cover a proximal portion of a femur and a lateral portion of a ischium and ilium of the person the first and second gaps comprising substantially unpadded flexible material, the gaps allowing substantially unhindered flexion and abduction of the hip joint; wherein the padding in combination with the lower right lateral section extends posteriorly beyond a line approximately bisecting the right lateral side of the garment anteriorly and posteriorly; and wherein the front section, upper back section, lower right medial section and lower left medial section are substantially devoid of protective padding.