Assembly for a movable protective shield

Abstract

An item of protective gear, comprising: a first shield element and a separate base portion of the item, each adapted to overlie the a same or different area of anatomy of an intended user; and a pivot system movably intercoupling the shield element and the base portion so that relative to the base portion, the shield element is capable of rotating laterally around a fixed pivot axis for a predetermined degree. While not limited to use over any particular anatomical areas, the assembly of the shield element and base portion is particularly suited for use as a shoulder pad assembly for protecting at least a portion of an intended user's shoulder-joint area.

1 . An item of protective gear, comprising:
 a first shield element and a separate base portion of the item, each adapted to overlie the a same or different area of anatomy of an intended user; and   a pivot system movably intercoupling the shield element and the base portion so that relative to the base portion, the shield element is capable of rotating laterally around a fixed pivot axis.   
     
     
         2 . The item of  claim 1  wherein the shield element is adjacent the base portion. 
     
     
         3 . The item of  claim 1  wherein the shield element and base portion are arranged adjacent to each other in a fully or partially overlying and/or side-by-side relationship. 
     
     
         4 . The item of  claim 1  wherein the pivot system comprises a post and a receiver that are rotatably engagable with one another, the post being disposed on or coupled to one of the first shield and the base portion, and the receiver being disposed on or in the other of the first shield and the base portion, and wherein the post's longitudinal axis defines the pivot axis. 
     
     
         5 . The item of  1  claim wherein the base portion comprises a second shield element. 
     
     
         6 . The item of  claim 1  wherein the item comprises a shoulder pad assembly for protecting at least a portion of a user's shoulder joint area. 
     
     
         7 . The item of  claim 6  wherein in the shoulder pad assembly the base portion base is configured to overlie at least a portion of an intended user's clavicle area and the shield element extends away from the base shield and is configured to overlie the joint of the clavicle and humerus of the intended user. 
     
     
         8 . The item of  claim 7  wherein the shield is configured to extend from the base portion and to at least cover a portion of an intended user's upper humerus. 
     
     
         9 . An item of protective gear, comprising:
 a first shield element and a separate base portion of the item, each adapted to overlie the a same or different area of anatomy of an intended user; and   a pivot system movably intercoupling the shield element and the base portion so that relative to the base portion, the shield element is capable of rotating laterally around a fixed pivot axis, and wherein the pivot system allows multiple degrees of freedom, including the lateral rotation and an up and down movement of the shield element relative to the base portion.   
     
     
         10 . An item of protective gear, comprising:
 a first shield element and a separate base portion of the item, each adapted to overlie the a same or different area of anatomy of an intended user; and a pivot system movably intercoupling the shield element and the base portion so that relative to the base portion, the shield element is capable of rotating laterally around a fixed pivot axis, the pivot system allowing for the first shield element to conform to an intended user's shoulder and upper arm movements;   wherein the item comprises a shoulder pad assembly for protecting at least a portion of a user's shoulder joint area;   wherein in the shoulder pad assembly the base portion base is configured to overlie at least a portion of an intended user's clavicle area and the shield element extends away from the base shield and is configured to overlie the joint of the clavicle and humerus of the intended user; and   wherein the pivot system allows multiple degrees of freedom, including the lateral rotation and an up and down movement of the shield element relative to the base portion.   
     
     
         11 . The item of  claim 10  wherein the pivot system comprises a post and a receiver that rotatably engage one another, the post being disposed on or coupled to one of the base portion and the shield element, and the receiver being disposed on or in the other of the base portion and side element, and wherein the post's longitudinal axis defines the pivot axis. 
     
     
         12 . The item of  claim 1  wherein the pivot system is configured to allow for lateral rotation around the pivot axis of at least 45°. 
     
     
         13 . The item of  claim 1  wherein the pivot system comprises a post and a receiver that have generally complementary shapes that together and in combination with predetermined amount of freeplay define a predetermined range of motion for the pivot axis that is less than 270° or thereabout such value. 
     
     
         14 . The item of  claim 1  wherein the pivot system comprises a post comprising a ball-type element and a receiver comprising a complementary socket element, the ball-type element is disposed on or in one of the shield element and the base portion and the socket is disposed on or in the other of the shield element and the base portion. 
     
     
         15 . The item of  claim 1  wherein the shield element or elements comprise a molded plastic. 
     
     
         16 . The item of  claim 15  wherein the shield comprises a material having a durometer of at least 75. 
     
     
         17 . The item of  claim 1  wherein the shield includes a first abutment surface; and the base portion includes a second abutment surface, and the shield portion and base portion are arranged so that on relative lateral movement the abutment surfaces are engagable to limit the relative range of lateral rotation of the shield element and the base portion. 
     
     
         18 . The item of  claim 15  wherein the shield element and/or base portion further include an associated layer of a padding that is adjacent and coextensive with a portion of the shield element and/or base portion. 
     
     
         19 . The item of  claim 19  wherein the padding has a durometer of 60 or less. 
     
     
         20 . The item of  claim 1  further comprising a chest shield, coupled to the item, the overall item comprising a chest protector (roost deflector).