Adjustable shoulder pads

Abstract

Shoulder pads for a player playing a contact sport, such as hockey, lacrosse or football, are provided. The shoulder pads comprise a front member, a back member, left and right shoulder arches, left and right shoulder protectors, and an adjustment system allowing the player to adjust a fit of the shoulder pads. The adjustment system may allow the player to adjust various components of the shoulder pads, including the front member, the back member, and the left and right shoulder protectors, in various directions.

1 .- 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . Shoulder pads for a player playing a contact sport, the shoulder pads comprising:
 a) a front member configured to cover at least part of a front side of a thorax of the player and comprising protective padding;   b) a back member configured to cover at least part of a back side of the thorax of the player;   c) a left shoulder member configured to arch over a left shoulder of the player, extending from the front member to the back member, and detachably fastened to the front member; and   d) a right shoulder member configured to arch over a right shoulder of the player, extending from the front member to the back member, and detachably fastened to the front member.   
     
     
         30 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein each of the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member so as to be detachable from the front member while the player is wearing the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         31 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein each of the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member to allow the player to adjust the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member while the player is wearing the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         32 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein each of the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member to allow the player to adjust the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member in a front-back direction of the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         33 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein each of the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member to allow the player to adjust a distance between the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member in a left-right direction of the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         34 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein each of the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member to allow the player to adjust a position in which the left shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member in a front-back direction of the shoulder pads and adjust a position in which the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member in the front-back direction of the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         35 . The shoulder pads of  claim 34 , wherein each of the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member to allow the player to adjust the position in which the left shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member in a left-right direction of the shoulder pads and adjust the position in which the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member in the left-right direction of the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         36 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein each of the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member to allow the player to omnidirectionally adjust a position in which the left shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member and omnidirectionally adjust a position in which the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member. 
     
     
         37 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein each of the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member is detachably fastened to the front member to allow the player to adjust an orientation of the left shoulder member relative to the front member and adjust an orientation of the right shoulder member relative to the front member. 
     
     
         38 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , comprising: a connector on the left shoulder member and a left connector on the front member detachably connected to one another to detachably fasten the left shoulder member to the front member; and a connector on the right shoulder member and a right connector on the front member detachably connected to one another to detachably fasten the right shoulder member to the front member. 
     
     
         39 . The shoulder pads of  claim 38 , wherein: the left connector of the front member has a dimension in a left-right direction of the shoulder pads of at least 1 inch and a dimension in a top-bottom direction of the shoulder pads of at least 1 inch; and the right connector of the front member has a dimension in the left-right direction of the shoulder pads of at least 1 inch and a dimension in the top-bottom direction of the shoulder pads of at least 1 inch. 
     
     
         40 . The shoulder pads of  claim 38 , wherein: the left connector of the front member has a dimension in a left-right direction of the shoulder pads of at least 2 inches and a dimension in a top-bottom direction of the shoulder pads of at least 2 inches; and the right connector of the front member has a dimension in the left-right direction of the shoulder pads of at least 2 inches and a dimension in the top-bottom direction of the shoulder pads of at least 2 inches. 
     
     
         41 . The shoulder pads of  claim 38 , wherein: the connector of the left shoulder member comprises protective padding; and the connector of the right shoulder member comprises protective padding. 
     
     
         42 . The shoulder pads of  claim 38 , wherein: the connector of the left shoulder member is at least partly located in a clavicular portion of the left shoulder member; and the connector of the right shoulder member is at least partly located in a clavicular portion of the right shoulder member. 
     
     
         43 . The shoulder pads of  claim 38 , wherein: the left connector of the front member is at least partly located in a left clavicular region of the front member; and the right connector of the front member is at least partly located in a right clavicular region of the front member. 
     
     
         44 . The shoulder pads of  claim 38 , wherein: the connector of the left shoulder member and the left connector of the front member constitute a left hook-and-loop fastener; and the connector of the right shoulder member and the right connector of the front member constitute a right hook-and-loop fastener. 
     
     
         45 . The shoulder pads of  claim 44 , wherein: the connector of the left shoulder member comprises a hook portion of the left hook-and-loop fastener; the left connector of the front member comprises a loop portion of the left hook-and-loop fastener; the connector of the right shoulder member comprises a hook portion of the right hook-and-loop fastener; and the right connector of the front member comprises a loop portion of the right hook-and-loop fastener. 
     
     
         46 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , comprising a left hook-and-loop fastener detachably fastening the left shoulder member to the front member and a right hook-and-loop fastener detachably fastening the right shoulder member to the front member. 
     
     
         47 . The shoulder pads of  claim 46 , wherein: the left hook-and-loop fastener comprises a hook portion on the left shoulder member and a loop portion on the front member; and the right hook-and-loop fastener comprises a hook portion on the right shoulder member and a loop portion on the front member. 
     
     
         48 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein: the left shoulder member is detachable from the back member; and the right shoulder member is detachable from the back member. 
     
     
         49 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein: the left shoulder member is nonseparably connected to the back member and extends towards the front member; and the right shoulder member is nonseparably connected to the back member and extends towards the front member. 
     
     
         50 . The shoulder pads of  claim 49 , wherein: the left shoulder member is nonseparably connected to the back member by being sewed to the back member; and the right shoulder member is nonseparably connected to the back member by being sewed to the back member. 
     
     
         51 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , comprising a left shoulder protector configured to protect at least part of the left shoulder of the player and a right shoulder protector configured to protect at least part of the right shoulder of the player. 
     
     
         52 . The shoulder pads of  claim 51 , wherein: the left shoulder protector is mounted over the left shoulder member; and the right shoulder protector is mounted over the right shoulder member. 
     
     
         53 . The shoulder pads of  claim 51 , wherein: the left shoulder protector is movable relative to the left shoulder member; and the right shoulder protector is movable relative to the right shoulder member. 
     
     
         54 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , comprising a left arm protector configured to protect at least part of a left arm of the player and a right arm protector configured to protect at least part of a right arm of the player. 
     
     
         55 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein the back member comprises protective padding. 
     
     
         56 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member are adjustable while the player is wearing the shoulder pads by:
 moving the left shoulder member away from the front member to detach the left shoulder member from the front member and subsequently moving the left shoulder member towards the front member to reconnect the left shoulder member to the front member; and   moving the right shoulder member away from the front member to detach the right shoulder member from the front member and subsequently moving the right shoulder member towards the front member to reconnect the right shoulder member to the front member.   
     
     
         57 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein a fastener detachably fastening the left shoulder member to the front member and a fastener detachably fastening the right shoulder member to the front member are exposed at a front of the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         58 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member are unfastenable from the front member to disconnect the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member from the front member such that the front member is separated from the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member. 
     
     
         59 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member are unfastenable from the front member to disconnect the left shoulder member and the right shoulder member from the front member such that the front member is separated from the back member. 
     
     
         60 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein: the left shoulder member comprises a scapular portion and a clavicular portion that is larger than the scapular portion of the left shoulder member; and the right shoulder member comprises a scapular portion and a clavicular portion that is larger than the scapular portion of the right shoulder member. 
     
     
         61 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein the front member comprises a central section and a pair of lateral sections, the central section of the front member is located between the lateral sections of the front member, and each of the lateral sections of the front member is movable relative to the central section of the front member. 
     
     
         62 . The shoulder pads of  claim 61 , wherein the front member comprises elastic zones disposed between the central section of the front member and the lateral sections of the front member and configured to stretch when the lateral sections of the front member move away from the central section of the front member and contract when the lateral sections of the front member move towards the central section of the front member. 
     
     
         63 . The shoulder pads of  claim 29 , wherein the contact sport is lacrosse and the shoulder pads are lacrosse shoulder pads. 
     
     
         64 . Shoulder pads for a player playing a contact sport, the shoulder pads comprising:
 a) a front member configured to cover at least part of a front side of a thorax of the player and comprising protective padding;   b) a back member configured to cover at least part of a back side of the thorax of the player;   c) a left shoulder member configured to arch over a left shoulder of the player and extending from the front member to the back member;   d) a right shoulder member configured to arch over a right shoulder of the player and extending from the front member to the back member;   e) a left hook-and-loop fastener detachably fastening the left shoulder member to the front member; and   f) a right hook-and-loop fastener detachably fastening the right shoulder member to the front member.   
     
     
         65 . Shoulder pads for a player playing a contact sport, the shoulder pads comprising:
 a) a front member configured to cover at least part of a front side of a thorax of the player and comprising protective padding, a left connector at least partly located in a left clavicular region of the front member, and a right connector at least partly located in a right clavicular region of the front member;   b) a back member configured to cover at least part of a back side of the thorax of the player;   c) a left shoulder member configured to arch over a left shoulder of the player, extending from the front member to the back member, and comprising a connector at least partly located in a clavicular portion of the left shoulder member and detachably connected to the left connector of the front member to detachably fasten the left shoulder member to the front member; and   d) a right shoulder member configured to arch over a right shoulder of the player, extending from the front member to the back member, and comprising a connector at least partly located in a clavicular portion of the right shoulder member and detachably connected to the right connector of the front member to detachably fasten the right shoulder member to the front member.   
     
     
         66 . Shoulder pads for a player playing a contact sport, the shoulder pads comprising:
 a) a front member configured to cover at least part of a front side of a thorax of the player and comprising protective padding;   b) a back member configured to cover at least part of a back side of the thorax of the player;   c) a left shoulder member configured to arch over a left shoulder of the player, extending from the front member to the back member, and detachably fastened to the front member and the back member; and   d) a right shoulder member configured to arch over a right shoulder of the player, extending from the front member to the back member, and detachably fastened to the front member and the back member.