Inflatable shin guard

Claim 2

A shin guard, comprising: a shell member having a front, a back, a pair of opposite ends, and a pair of sides extending between said ends of said shell member, said shell member being adapted to conform to the shin of a user; said back of said shell member having a recess defined by a peripheral lip coupled to a periphery of said back of said shell member and extending rearwardly therefrom; an inflatable bladder member being provided in said recess of said back of said shell member, wherein said bladder member is adapted to substantially fill said recess when inflated; said shell member having a conduit in communication with an interior of said bladder member, said conduit being extended between said front and back of said shell member in perpendicular relationship with a plane in which said bladder member resides, said conduit being positioned at one of said ends of said shell member, said conduit permitting passage of air therethrough for inflating and deflating said bladder member; and a valve for selectively closing said conduit, wherein said valve includes an air pump mounted on said front of said shell member for passing air into said interior of said bladder member.

Claim 3

The shin guard of claim 1, wherein said shell member comprises plastic.

Claim 4

The shin guard of claim 1, wherein said front of said shell member includes a plurality of reinforcing strips thereon.

Claim 5

The shin guard of claim 1, wherein one of said ends of said shell member is arcuate in shape.

Claim 6

The shin guard of claim 1, further comprising a foot strap being coupled to another of said ends of said shell member.

Claim 7

The shin guard of claim 5, wherein said foot strap comprises a flexible upper portion and an instep strap portion, said foot strap being adapted for receiving a foot between said upper portion and said instep strap portion.

Claim 8

The shin guard of claim 1, further comprising a flexible leg strap having a pair of opposite ends, one of said ends of said leg strap being coupled to said shell member at one of said sides of said shell member, another of said ends of said leg strap being detachably attached to said shell member at another of said sides of said shell member.

Claim 9

The shin guard of claim 7, wherein a hook and loop fastener detachably attaches said another end of said leg strap to said shell member at said another side of said shell member.

Claim 10

A shin guard, comprising: a shell member having a front, a back, a pair of opposite ends, and a pair of sides extending between said ends of said shell member, said shell member being adapted to conform to the shin of a user; wherein said shell member comprises resilient plastic, wherein said shell member has a length between its ends of less than about 10 inches and a width between its sides of less than about 4 inches; said back of said shell member having a recess therein defined by a peripheral lip coupled to a periphery of said back of said shell member and extending rearwardly therefrom; said front of said shell member including a plurality of vertically oriented generally rectangular reinforcing strips thereon, said reinforcing strips being for providing additional resilient protection to said front of said shell member; one of said ends of said shell member being arcuate in shape; a foot strap being coupled to another of said ends of said shell member, said foot strap comprising a flexible upper portion and an instep strap portion, said foot strap being adapted for receiving a foot between said upper portion and said instep strap portion; a flexible leg strap having a pair of opposite ends, said leg strap being adapted for looping around a back of a user's shin to secure said shin guard to the shin of the user, one of said ends of said leg strap being coupled to said shell member at one of said sides of said shell member, another of said ends of said leg strap being detachably attached to said shell member at another of said sides of said shell member, wherein a hook and loop fastener detachably attaches said another end of said leg strap to said shell member at said another side of said shell member; an inflatable bladder member being provided in said recess of said back of said shell member, said bladder member being coupled to said shell member, wherein an interior of said bladder member may be filled with pumped air, wherein said bladder member is adapted to substantially fill said recess when said bladder member is inflated, said bladder member being for providing padding to said shin guard; said shell member having a conduit in communication with said interior of said bladder member, said conduit being extended between said front and back of said shell member in perpendicular relationship with a plane in which said bladder member resides, said conduit being positioned towards said one of said ends of said shell member, said conduit permitting passage of air therethrough for inflating and deflating said bladder member; and a valve for selectively closing said conduit, wherein said valve includes an air pump mounted on said front of said shell member for passing air into said interior of said bladder member.

Claim 11

A shin guard, comprising: a shell member having a front, a back, a pair of opposite ends, and a pair of sides extending between said ends of said shell member, said shell member being adapted to conform to the shin of a user; wherein said shell member comprises resilient plastic, wherein said shell member has a length between its ends of less than about 10 inches and a width between its sides of less than about 4 inches; said back of said shell member having a recess therein defined by a peripheral lip coupled to a periphery of said back of said shell member and extending rearwardly therefrom; said front of said shell member including a plurality of vertically oriented generally rectangular reinforcing strips thereon, said reinforcing strips being for providing additional resilient protection to said front of said shell member; one of said ends of said shell member being arcuate in shape; a foot strap being coupled to another of said ends of said shell member, said foot strap comprising a flexible upper portion and an instep strap portion, said foot strap being adapted for receiving a foot between said upper portion and said instep strap portion; a flexible leg strap having a pair of opposite ends, said leg strap being adapted for looping around a back of a user's shin to secure said shin guard to the shin of the user, one of said ends of said leg strap being coupled to said shell member at one of said sides of said shell member, another of said ends of said leg strap being detachably attached to said shell member at another of said sides of said shell member, wherein a hook and loop fastener detachably attaches said another end of said leg strap to said shell member at said another side of said shell member; an inflatable bladder member being provided in said recess of said back of said shell member, said bladder member being coupled to said shell member, wherein an interior of said bladder member may be filled with pumped air, wherein said bladder member is adapted to substantially fill said recess when said bladder member is inflated, said bladder member being for providing padding to said shin guard; said shell member having a conduit in communication with said interior of said bladder member, said conduit being extended between said front and back of said shell member in perpendicular relationship with a plane in which said bladder member resides, said conduit being positioned towards said one of said ends of said shell member, said conduit permitting passage of air therethrough for inflating and deflating said bladder member; and a valve for selectively closing said conduit, wherein said valve includes an air pump mounted on said front of said shell member for passing air into said interior of said bladder member.