Football Shoulder Pads

Abstract

Football shoulder pads having non-elastic underarm straps for securing the front panels to the back panels, each underarm strap being affixed on the interior side of the front panels using low profile securing members, passing through a ring member on the back panel, and then brought forward and secured to itself using a hook-and-loop fastening system.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A football shoulder pad comprising:
 a left shell member and a right shell member, each comprising a front panel and a back panel,   a left side releasable, non-elastic strap member connecting said front panel and said back panel of said left shell member, and a right side releasable, non-elastic strap member connecting said front panel and said back panel of said right shell member;   said left side strap member having a free end and a fixed end joined to the interior side of said left side front panel with a low profile fastener, and said right side strap member having a free end and a fixed end joined to the interior side of said right side front panel with a low profile fastener;   a left side ring member joined to the interior side of said back panel of said left shell member with a low profile fastener and sized to receive said left side strap member therethrough, and a right side ring member joined to the interior side of said back panel of said right shell member with a low profile fastener and sized to receive said right side strap member therethrough,   each said strap member comprising a hook-and-loop type fastening system comprising a first and second component, wherein said first component and said second component are affixed to the same side of said strap member, whereby with said strap members inserted through said ring members and with said free ends of said strap members brought toward said fixed ends of said strap members so as to bring said front panels and said back panels towards each other, said first and second components are brought into contact to secure said strap members.   
     
     
         2 . The pad of  claim 1 , wherein said low profile fasteners comprise rivets. 
     
     
         3 . The pad of  claim 1 , wherein said ring members are joined to said back panels by ring member straps. 
     
     
         4 . The pad of  claim 1 , further comprising a neoprene layer affixed to said strap members opposite said first and second components. 
     
     
         5 . The pad of  claim 1 , wherein all fasteners incorporated in said football shoulder pads are low profile fasteners. 
     
     
         6 . A football shoulder pad comprising:
 a left shell member and a right shell member, each comprising a front panel and a back panel, said front panels and said back panels having interior sides and exterior sides;   pad members disposed on said interior sides of said front panels and said back panels;   a left side releasable, non-elastic strap member connecting said front panel and said back panel of said left shell member, and a right side releasable, non-elastic strap member connecting said front panel and said back panel of said right shell member;   said left side strap member having a free end and a fixed end joined to said interior side of said left side front panel with a low profile fastener such that said left side fixed end is positioned between said left side front panel and one of said pad members, and said right side strap member having a free end and a fixed end joined to said interior side of said right side front panel with a low profile fastener such that said right side fixed end is positioned between said right side front panel and one of said pad members;   a left side ring member retained by a left side ring member strap joined to said interior side of said back panel of said left shell member with a low profile fastener such that said left side ring member strap is positioned between said left side front panel and one of said pad members, said left side ring member sized to receive said left side strap member therethrough, and a right side ring member retained by a right side ring member strap joined to said interior side of said back panel of said right shell member with a low profile fastener such that said right side ring member strap is positioned between said right side front panel and one of said pad members, said right side ring member sized to receive said right side strap member therethrough,   each said strap member comprising a hook-and-loop type fastening system comprising a first and second component, wherein said first component and said second component are affixed to the same side of said strap member, whereby with said strap members inserted through said ring members and with said free ends of said strap members brought toward said fixed ends of said strap members so as to bring said front panels and said back panels towards each other, said first and second components are brought into contact to secure said strap members.   
     
     
         7 . The pad of  claim 6 , wherein said low profile fasteners comprise rivets. 
     
     
         8 . The pad of  claim 6 , further comprising a neoprene layer affixed to said strap members opposite from said first and second components. 
     
     
         9 . The pad of  claim 6 , wherein all fasteners incorporated in said football shoulder pads are low profile fasteners. 
     
     
         10 . A football shoulder pad comprising:
 a left shell member and a right shell member, each comprising a front panel joined to a back panel, said front panels and said back panels having interior sides and exterior sides;   pad members disposed on said interior sides of said front panels and said back panels;   a left side releasable, non-elastic strap member connecting said front panel and said back panel of said left shell member, and a right side releasable, non-elastic strap member connecting said front panel and said back panel of said right shell member;   said left side strap member having a free end and a fixed end joined to said interior side of said left side front panel with a low profile fastener such that said left side fixed end is positioned between said left side front panel and one of said pad members, and said right side strap member having a free end and a fixed end joined to said interior side of said right side front panel with a low profile fastener such that said right side fixed end is positioned between said right side front panel and one of said pad members;   a left side ring member retained by a left side ring member strap joined to said interior side of said back panel of said left shell member with a low profile fastener such that said left side ring member strap is positioned between said left side front panel and one of said pad members, said left side ring member sized to receive said left side strap member therethrough, and a right side ring member retained by a right side ring member strap joined to said interior side of said back panel of said right shell member with a low profile fastener such that said right side ring member strap is positioned between said right side front panel and one of said pad members, said right side ring member sized to receive said right side strap member therethrough,   each said strap member comprising a hook-and-loop type fastening system comprising a first and second component, wherein said first component and said second component are affixed to the same side of said strap member, said first component being affixed adjacent said fixed ends of said strap members and said second component being affixed adjacent said free ends of said strap members, whereby with said strap members inserted through said ring members and with said free ends of said strap members brought toward said fixed ends of said strap members so as to bring said front panels and said back panels towards each other, said first and second components are brought into contact to secure said strap members.   
     
     
         11 . The pad of  claim 10 , wherein said low profile fasteners comprise rivets. 
     
     
         12 . The pad of  claim 10 , further comprising a neoprene layer affixed to said strap members opposite from said first and second components. 
     
     
         13 . The pad of  claim 6 , wherein all fasteners incorporated in said football shoulder pads are low profile fasteners.