Protective equipment

Abstract

Protective equipment used in a wide range of sports occupations and other activities and occupations to prevent concussions and other injuries that may absorb shock or force brought on by the kinetic energy from flying objects such as a ball, bat or other moving object. Such protective equipment assembly comprising a wearable assembly and a facemask. The wearable assembly may comprise a chest panel and a pair of shoulder anchors. A chest attachment mechanism may be provided on the chest panel and a shoulder attachment mechanism may be provided on the shoulder anchors. The facemask may be secured to the wearable assembly via the chest attachment mechanism and the shoulder attachment mechanism such that the facemask is not in contact with a neck or a head of a user.

1 . A protective equipment assembly, comprising:
 a wearable assembly comprising a chest panel and a pair of shoulder anchors;   a facemask comprising a plurality of metals bars forming a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings being sized and shaped to prevent a selected object from passing through;   a chest attachment mechanism provided on the chest panel;   a shoulder attachment mechanism provided on the shoulder anchors; and   wherein the facemask is secured to the wearable assembly via the chest attachment mechanism and the shoulder attachment mechanism such that the facemask is not in contact with a neck or a head of a user.   
     
     
         2 . The protective equipment of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of openings comprises a viewing opening, wherein the viewing opening has a horizontal length and a vertical width, wherein the vertical width is short enough to prevent the selected object from passing through the viewing opening, and wherein the horizontal length is long enough to extend past both eyes of the user. 
     
     
         3 . The protective equipment of  claim 1  wherein the viewing opening is devoid of a central bar vertical bar. 
     
     
         4 . The protective equipment of  claim 1  wherein the object is a baseball. 
     
     
         5 . The protective equipment of  claim 1  wherein the facemask is configured to extend downward for a distance past shoulders of the user and upward for a distance past a top of a head of the user. 
     
     
         6 . The protective equipment of  claim 1  wherein the facemask is configured to extend forward for a distance past a nose of the user and rearward for a distance behind the nose of the user. 
     
     
         7 . The protective equipment of  claim 1  wherein the chest attachment mechanism prevents the facemask from being rotated clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the chest panel. 
     
     
         8 . The protective equipment of  claim 1  wherein the chest attachment mechanism comprises a tab on the chest panel that extends downward and outward to form a slot between the tab and the chest panel, and a hook on the facemask, the hook being sized and shaped to be received by the slot. 
     
     
         9 . The protective equipment of  claim 1  wherein the shoulder attachment mechanism comprises bolt holes on the shoulder anchors and corresponding spring-biased bolts on each side of the facemask, the spring-biased bolts having springs that bias toward and into the bolt holes. 
     
     
         10 . The protective equipment of  claim 9  wherein the shoulder attachment mechanism further comprises finger buttons on the spring-biased bolts, wherein the finger buttons are pressed to compress the springs away and out of the bolt holes and the finger buttons are released to allow the springs to bias towards and into the bolt holes. 
     
     
         11 . The protective equipment of  claim 1  further comprising a shoulder alignment mechanism that aligns the facemask with the shoulder anchors. 
     
     
         12 . The protective equipment of  claim 11  wherein the shoulder alignment mechanism comprises alignment holes on the shoulder anchors and corresponding alignment posts on each side of the facemask, the alignment posts being sized and shaped to be received by the alignment holes. 
     
     
         13 . The protective equipment of  claim 1  further comprising a movement limiting mechanism that limits movement of the chest panel relative to a chest of the user. 
     
     
         14 . The protective equipment of  claim 13  wherein the movement limiting mechanism comprises a wing assembly having an arm wing, wherein the arm wing is sized and shaped to receive a tricep of the user. 
     
     
         15 . The protective equipment of  claim 13  wherein the movement limiting mechanism comprises a handle assembly having a handle, wherein the handle is sized and shape to be held by a hand of the user. 
     
     
         16 . The protective equipment of  claim 13  wherein the movement limiting mechanism comprises cinch system that pulls the chest panel toward the chest of the user and pulls the shoulder anchors towards shoulders of the user. 
     
     
         17 . A protective equipment assembly, comprising:
 a wearable assembly comprising a chest panel and a pair of shoulder anchors;   a facemask comprising a plurality of metals bars forming a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings being sized and shaped to prevent a selected object from passing through;   a chest attachment mechanism comprising a tab on the chest panel that extends downward and outward to form a slot between the tab and the chest panel, and a hook on the facemask, the hook being sized and shaped to be received by the slot;   a shoulder attachment mechanism comprising bolt holes on the shoulder anchors and corresponding spring-biased bolts on each side of the facemask, the spring-biased bolts having springs that bias toward and into the bolt holes;   wherein the facemask is secured to the wearable assembly via the chest attachment mechanism and the shoulder attachment mechanism such that the facemask is not in contact with a neck or a head of a user.   
     
     
         18 . The protective equipment assembly of  claim 17  further comprising a shoulder alignment mechanism comprising alignment holes on the shoulder anchors and corresponding alignment posts on each side of the facemask, the alignment posts being sized and shaped to be received by the alignment holes. 
     
     
         19 . The protective equipment assembly of  claim 17  further comprising a movement limiting mechanism that limits movement of the chest panel relative to a chest of the user. 
     
     
         20 . A protective equipment assembly, comprising:
 a wearable assembly comprising a chest panel and a pair of shoulder anchors;   a facemask comprising a plurality of metals bars forming a plurality of openings;   a chest attachment mechanism provided on the chest panel;   a shoulder attachment mechanism provided on the shoulder anchors;   a movement limiting mechanism that limits movement of the chest panel relative to a chest of the user;   wherein the facemask is secured to the wearable assembly via the chest attachment mechanism and the shoulder attachment mechanism such that the facemask is not in contact with a neck or a head of the user;   wherein the plurality of openings are sized and shaped to prevent a selected object from passing through, the plurality of openings including a viewing opening, wherein the viewing opening has a horizontal length and a vertical width, wherein the vertical width is short enough to prevent the selected object from passing through the viewing opening, and wherein the horizontal length is long enough to extend past both eyes of the user, and wherein the viewing opening is devoid of a central vertical bar; and   wherein the plurality of metal bars are configured to extend downward for a distance past shoulders of the user, upward for a distance past a top of the head of the user, forward for a distance past a nose of the user and rearward for a distance behind the nose of the user.