Leg pads for a hockey goalkeeper

Abstract

A leg pad for a hockey goalkeeper playing hockey (e.g., ice hockey) is provided. The leg pad comprises a frontal portion, a medial portion, and a lateral portion respectively configured to be positioned adjacent to a front, a medial side, and a lateral side of a goalkeeper's leg when the leg pad is worn on the leg. The leg pad comprises an outer shell comprising an outer surface of the leg pad, an inner liner for facing the leg, and protective padding disposed between the molded outer shell and the inner liner. The outer shell may comprise molded foam.

1 . A leg pad for a hockey goalkeeper, the leg pad being wearable on a leg of the hockey goalkeeper to protect the leg, the leg pad comprising a frontal portion, a medial portion, and a lateral portion respectively configured to be positioned adjacent to a front, a medial side, and a lateral side of the leg when the leg pad is worn on the leg, the leg pad comprising:
 a) a molded outer shell comprising an outer surface of the leg pad;   b) an inner liner for facing the leg; and   c) protective padding disposed between the molded outer shell and the inner liner, the protective padding generally conforming to the molded outer shell.   
     
     
         2 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein: the molded outer shell has a molded bent configuration such that the molded outer shell is bent in a longitudinal direction of the leg pad; and the protective padding has a bent configuration such that the protective padding is bent in the longitudinal direction of the leg pad to generally conform to the molded bent configuration of the molded outer shell. 
     
     
         3 . The leg pad of  claim 2 , wherein: the molded outer shell comprises a bend in the longitudinal direction of the leg pad between an upper leg portion of the molded outer shell and a lower leg portion of the molded outer shell over a knee portion of the molded outer shell; and the protective padding comprises a bend in the longitudinal direction of the leg pad between an upper leg portion of the protective padding and a lower leg portion of the protective padding over a knee portion of the protective padding. 
     
     
         4 . The leg pad of  claim 3 , wherein: the bend of the molded outer shell is a curved part which defines a curvature of the molded outer shell; and the bend of the protective padding is a curved part which defines a curvature of the protective padding. 
     
     
         5 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the molded outer shell comprises molded foam. 
     
     
         6 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the molded outer shell comprises molded material including a plurality of different constituents. 
     
     
         7 . The leg pad of  claim 6 , wherein the different constituents include a first foam and a second foam that is different from the first foam. 
     
     
         8 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the molded outer shell comprises a foam layer and a non-foam layer. 
     
     
         9 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the molded outer shell is a compression molded outer shell. 
     
     
         10 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the protective padding comprises a plurality of padding materials that are different from one another. 
     
     
         11 . The leg pad of  claim 10 , wherein a first one of the padding materials is a first foam and a second one of the padding materials is a second foam different from the first foam. 
     
     
         12 . The leg pad of  claim 11 , wherein the first foam is denser than the second foam. 
     
     
         13 . The leg pad of  claim 12 , wherein the second foam is disposed between the first foam and the inner liner. 
     
     
         14 . The leg pad of  claim 1 , wherein the protective padding comprises: a first layer including a first padding material; and a second layer including a second padding material that is stiffer than the first padding material. 
     
     
         15 . The leg pad of  claim 14 , wherein the second padding material is disposed between the molded outer shell and the first padding material. 
     
     
         16 . The leg pad of  claim 10 , wherein the padding materials are disposed relative to one another to control a rebound effect in different areas of the protective padding. 
     
     
         17 . The leg pad of  claim 16 , wherein a first one of the padding materials is disposed in at least one limited area of the protective padding on a second one of the padding materials to control the rebound effect in the at least one limited area of the protective padding. 
     
     
         18 . The leg pad of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one limited area of the protective padding is a plurality of limited areas of the protective padding that are spaced apart from one another. 
     
     
         19 . A leg pad for a hockey goalkeeper, the leg pad being wearable on a leg of the hockey goalkeeper to protect the leg, the leg pad comprising a frontal portion, a medial portion, and a lateral portion respectively configured to be positioned adjacent to a front, a medial side, and a lateral side of the leg when the leg pad is worn on the leg, the leg pad comprising:
 a) a molded outer shell comprising an outer surface of the leg pad, the molded outer shell comprising an upper leg portion, a knee portion, and a lower leg portion, the molded outer shell having a molded bent configuration such that the molded outer shell is bent in a longitudinal direction of the leg pad;   b) an inner liner for facing the leg; and   c) protective padding disposed between the molded outer shell and the inner liner, the protective padding having a bent configuration such that the protective padding is bent in the longitudinal direction of the leg pad in accordance with the molded bent configuration of the molded outer shell.   
     
     
         20 . A leg pad for a hockey goalkeeper, the leg pad being wearable on a leg of the hockey goalkeeper to protect the leg, the leg pad comprising a frontal portion, a medial portion, and a lateral portion respectively configured to be positioned adjacent to a front, a medial side, and a lateral side of the leg when the leg pad is worn on the leg, the leg pad comprising:
 a) an outer shell comprising an outer surface of the leg pad, the outer shell comprising molded material having a bent configuration such that the outer shell is bent in a longitudinal direction of the leg pad;   b) an inner liner for facing the leg; and   c) protective padding disposed between the outer shell and the inner liner, the protective padding comprising:
 a first padding material; and 
 a second padding material that is stiffer than the first padding material and that is bent in the longitudinal direction of the leg pad in accordance with the bent configuration of the molded material.