Shoulder pads

Abstract

Protective athletic shoulder pads for a wearer, such as a hockey or lacrosse player. The shoulder pads may comprise a base with protective padding for protecting shoulders of the wearer, a rib protector for protecting ribs of the wearer, and an attachment mechanism configured to allow the rib protector to be removably connected to the base. Alternatively or additionally, the attachment mechanism may allow attachment of the rib protector to the base in one of a plurality of pre-determined positions. A protective athletic system comprising the shoulder pads and an undergarment is also provided.

1 .- 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A protective athletic system comprising:
 shoulder pads comprising protective padding for protecting shoulders of a wearer; and   an undergarment configured to be worn underneath the shoulder pads and configured to engage the shoulder pads when the wearer wears the protective athletic system, the undergarment comprising protective padding;   
       wherein the protective padding of the undergarment complements the protective padding of the shoulder pads, at least some of the protective padding of the shoulder pads being located on a protector that is detachable from the system. 
     
     
         40 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , further comprising an attachment mechanism for providing a connection of the undergarment to the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         41 . The protective athletic system of  claim 40 , rein said connection is a detachable connection. 
     
     
         42 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein the shoulder pads comprise:
 a base with protective padding for protecting shoulders of the wearer;   a rib protector for protecting ribs of the wearer; and   an attachment mechanism that allows attachment of the rib protector to the base in one of a plurality of pre-determined discrete positions.   
     
     
         43 . The protective athletic system of  claim 42 , wherein the attachment mechanism is configured to allow the rib protector to be removably connected to the base. 
     
     
         44 . The protective athletic system of  claim 42 , wherein the base comprises a front member for protecting a sternum of the wearer and a back member for protecting part of a back of the wearer. 
     
     
         45 . The protective athletic system of  claim 44 , wherein the rib protector comprises left and right chest protectors for protecting ribs on respective left and right sides of a chest of the wearer. 
     
     
         46 . The protective athletic system of  claim 44 , wherein the shoulder pads comprise a left shoulder protector and a right shoulder protector connected to the base. 
     
     
         47 . The protective athletic system of  claim 44 , wherein the shoulder pads comprise a left arm protector and a right arm protector connected to the base. 
     
     
         48 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein protective padding of the shoulder pads comprises foam. 
     
     
         49 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein protective padding of the shoulder pads comprises at least one perforated protective padding element. 
     
     
         50 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein protective padding of the undergarment comprises foam. 
     
     
         51 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein protective padding of the undergarment comprises at least one perforated protective padding element. 
     
     
         52 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein the undergarment is a baselayer garment configured to be worn in contact with a wearer's body. 
     
     
         53 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein the undergarment is a baselayer shirt comprising a torso portion and a lower opening, the torso portion including a front, a back, shoulders, a neck opening for passing a neck and a head of the wearer, and the lower opening being configured for fitting around a lower torso region of the wearer. 
     
     
         54 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein the undergarment comprises a fabric material. 
     
     
         55 . The protective athletic system of  claim 54 , wherein the fabric material comprises at least one of: a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, synthetic microfibers, a synthetic woven knit, a polyurethane laminate, and a mesh. 
     
     
         56 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein the shoulder pads comprise:
 a base with protective padding for protecting shoulders of the wearer, the base comprising: a front member for protecting a sternum of the wearer; and a back member for protecting part of a back of the wearer;   an arch connecting the front member of the base to the hack member of the base;   a shoulder protector connected to at least one of the from member and the back member;   a rib protector for protecting ribs of the wearer, the rib protector comprising left and right chest protectors for protecting ribs on respective left and right sides of a chest of the wearer and left and right back protectors for protecting ribs on respective left and right sides of the back of the wearer; and   an first attachment mechanism that allows attachment of the rib protector to the base in one of a plurality of pre-determined discrete positions;   
       wherein the undergarment comprises:
 a torso portion including a front, a back, shoulders, a neck opening for passing a neck and a head of the wearer; and 
 a lower opening being configured for fitting around a lower torso region of the player; and 
 
       wherein when the protective shoulder pads and the undergarment are assembled:
 the front member of the base is configured to overlay the front of the undergarment; 
 the back member of the base is configured to overlay the back of the undergarment; 
 the arch and the shoulder protector re configured to overlay at least one of the shoulders of the undergarment. 
 
     
     
         57 . The protective athletic system of  claim 56 , wherein the protective athletic system comprises a second attachment mechanism for providing a detachable connection of the undergarment to the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         58 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein padding elements of the protective padding of the undergarment are configured to be disposed to complement the protective padding of the shoulder pads by overlaying one or more padding elements of the protective padding of the shoulder pads to offer additional protection to one or more regions of the body of the wearer. 
     
     
         59 . The protective athletic system of  claim 58 , wherein the one or more padding elements of the shoulder pads are softer than another one of the padding elements of the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         60 . The protective athletic system of  claim 58 , wherein the one or more padding elements of the shoulder pads are thinner than another one of the padding elements of the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         61 . The protective athletic system of  claim 39 , wherein protective padding elements of the protective padding of the undergarment is configured to be disposed to protect at least one region of the wearer not protected by the protective padding of the shoulder protector. 
     
     
         62 . A protective athletic system comprising:
 shoulder pads comprising protective padding for protecting shoulders of a wearer; and   an undergarment configured to be worn underneath the shoulder pads and configured to engage the shoulder pads when the wearer wears the protective athletic system, the undergarment comprising protective padding;   
       wherein the shoulder pads comprise: a base for protecting shoulders of the wearer; and at least one protector to protect a region of the wearer, the at least one protector being attachable to the base in one of a plurality of pre-determined discrete positions when the wearer wears the protective athletic system. 
     
     
         63 . The protective athletic system of  claim 62 , wherein the at least one protector is detachable from the base when the wearer wears the protective athletic system. 
     
     
         64 . The protective athletic system of  claim 62 , wherein the protective athletic system comprises an attachment mechanism for providing a connection of the undergarment to the shoulder pads. 
     
     
         65 . A protective athletic system comprising:
 shoulder pads comprising protective padding for protecting shoulders of a wearer; and   an undergarment configured to be worn underneath the shoulder pads and configured to engage the shoulder pads when the wearer wears the protective athletic system, the undergarment comprising protective padding;   
       wherein the shoulder pads are adjustable by the wearer from a first set of adjustment settings to a second set of adjustment settings when the wearer wears the protective athletic system.