Energy absorbing apparatus for sporting goods

Abstract

An energy absorbing apparatus adds support on sporting equipment, such as hockey skates, to protect the user from injury. The energy absorbing apparatus for hockey skates may protect the user's foot and ankle from injury. The energy absorbing apparatus may include a shock absorbing urethane foam member that may be formed integrally in a hockey skate. In an alternate embodiment, the energy absorbing material may be disposed in an adjunct adapted to be attached to a conventional hockey skate. The energy absorbing apparatus and the alternate embodiment are both light weight and flexible. The energy absorbing material may be used in helmets, baseball jerseys and other items where absorbing energy from external forces may protect the wearer.

1 . An energy absorbing apparatus for protecting a user from an impact of an external force, the apparatus comprising:
 a urethane foam absorbing material attached to an item worn by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the external force is from the user participating in a sport. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the item is a hockey skate and the sport is hockey. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the urethane foam absorbing material is a microcellular polyurethane. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the microcellular polyurethane is integrally formed into the hockey skate. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the microcellular polyurethane is covered with an outer covering and shaped to fit around an exterior of the hockey skate. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 eyelets adapted to align with eyelets of the hockey skate when the apparatus is fitted around the exterior of the hockey skate; and   at least one strap extending from a bottom portion of the apparatus, the at least one strap adapted to fit around the skate.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the item is a helmet. 
     
     
         9 . A hockey skate comprising:
 a microcellular polyurethane absorbing material, the absorbing material capable of absorbing at least about 50 percent of the total impact on an external force on a wearer of the hockey skate.   
     
     
         10 . The hockey skate of  claim 9 , wherein either a) the microcellular polyurethane is integrally formed into the hockey skate, or b) the microcellular polyurethane is covered with an outer covering and shaped to fit around an exterior of the hockey skate.