Protective shin guard

Abstract

A protective guard for reducing injury to a shin of a person is provided. The protective guard includes an elastomeric substrate having a pocket disposed therein. A central core is carried by the pocket of the elastomeric substrate. The central core includes a plurality of rigid plates, a first of which is joined by at least one hinge to a second of the plates.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A protective guard for reducing injury to a shin of a person comprising:
 an elastomeric substrate having a pocket disposed therein; and   a central core having a plurality of rigid plates disposed within the pocket, a first of the plates being joined by at least one hinge to a second of the plates.   
     
     
         2 . The protective guard according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plates is joined by at least one hinge to another of the plates. 
     
     
         3 . The protective guard according to  claim 2 , wherein the joining of the plates allows multidirectional rotation of the central core such that both the central core and the elastomeric substrate are conformable to the shin of a person. 
     
     
         4 . The protective guard according to  claim 1 , wherein the pocket is formed by molding the elastomeric substrate around the central core. 
     
     
         5 . The protective guard according to  claim 1 , wherein the pocket is accessible through an entry slot to allow insertion and removal of the central core. 
     
     
         6 . The protective guard according to  claim 1 , wherein the hinge is a living hinge formed from the same material as the rigid plates. 
     
     
         7 . The protective guard according to  claim 1 , wherein the hinge is bonded to the first and second plates. 
     
     
         8 . The protective guard according to  claim 7 , wherein the hinge is a membrane having adhesive disposed on at least one surface of the membrane. 
     
     
         9 . The protective guard according to  claim 1 , wherein the plates are triangular in shape. 
     
     
         10 . The protective guard according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 some of the rigid plates are disposed in an outer perimeter region and others of the rigid plates are disposed in an inner region; and   each of the rigid plates in the inner region is hingedly attached on each of three edges to an adjacent rigid plate.   
     
     
         11 . The protective guard according to  claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric substrate is a thermoplastic elastomer. 
     
     
         12 . A protective guard for reducing injury to a shin of a person comprising:
 a conformable substrate; and   a plurality of core members at least partially embedded within the conformable substrate and arranged such that a first of the core members is rotationally movable about at least one axis relative to a second of the core members.   
     
     
         13 . The protective guard according to  claim 12 , wherein the core members, as a whole, are conformable to the shin of the person. 
     
     
         14 . The protective guard according to  claim 12 , wherein the first of the core members is hingedly connected to the second of the core members. 
     
     
         15 . The protective guard according to  claim 12 , wherein the conformable substrate is molded around at least a portion of the core members. 
     
     
         16 . A protective guard for reducing injury to a shin of a person comprising:
 a conformable substrate; and   a plurality of core members disposed adjacent to a surface and arranged such that a first of the core members is rotationally movable about at least one axis relative to a second of the core members.   
     
     
         17 . The protective guard according to  claim 16 , wherein the core members are arranged such that the core members, as a whole, are conformable to the shin of the person. 
     
     
         18 . The protective guard according to  claim 16 , wherein the first of the core members is hingedly connected to the second of the core members. 
     
     
         19 . The protective guard according to  claim 16 , wherein core members are bonded to the conformable substrate. 
     
     
         20 . A protective guard comprising:
 an elastomeric substrate; and   a plurality of non-elastomeric core members at least partially embedded within the elastomeric substrate.   
     
     
         21 . The protective guard according to  claim 20 , wherein the core members are arranged such that a first of the core members is rotationally movable about at least one axis relative to a second of the core members. 
     
     
         22 . The protective guard according to  claim 20 , wherein the core members are arranged such that the core members, as a whole, are conformable to a body part of a person.