Leg guard

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a leg guard having a toe guard, a shin guard, a knee guard including an extended kneecap wrap, a thigh guard, and an interlocking hinge. The interlocking hinge helps prevent an opening from forming between the thigh guard and the knee guard during play and prevents the leg guard from moving or rotating about the user's leg during movement. The leg guard also includes a slider assembly attached to the thigh guard that allows for the cushion pad to remain fixed against the thigh of the user while only the cover shell slides up and down the leg as the user assumes any one of a plurality of positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A leg guard, comprising:
 a thigh guard comprising a first hinge member,   a knee guard pivotally attached to the thigh guard and positioned below the thigh guard, the knee guard comprising a second hinge member,   wherein the thigh guard is configured to pivot relative to the knee guard and the first hinge member is configured to interlock with the second hinge member when the first hinge member and the second hinge member meet at an interlocking angle.   
     
     
         2 . The leg guard of  claim 1 , wherein the first hinge member is formed along a bottom edge of the thigh guard and the second hinge member is formed along a top edge of the knee guard. 
     
     
         3 . The leg guard of  claim 1 , wherein the first hinge member and the second hinge member are complementary in shape. 
     
     
         4 . The leg guard of  claim 1 , wherein the thigh guard is configured to pivot upward and downward relative to the knee guard. 
     
     
         5 . The leg guard of  claim 1 , wherein the interlocking angle is met when the thigh guard is configured to pivot to an angle of about 65 degrees to about 105 degrees relative to the knee guard. 
     
     
         6 . The leg guard of  claim 1 , wherein the knee guard is attached to the thigh guard at a pivot point positioned on a lateral portion of the knee guard. 
     
     
         7 . The leg guard of  claim 6 , wherein the pivot point is located about 2 inches to about 3 inches from a center line of the knee guard. 
     
     
         8 . A leg guard, comprising:
 a thigh guard comprising a first cover shell, the first cover shell having a bottom edge formed as a first lip,   a knee guard pivotally attached to the thigh guard and positioned below the thigh guard, the knee guard comprising a second cover shell, the second cover shell having an upper edge formed as a second lip, wherein the first lip and the second lip are complementary in shape,   wherein the thigh guard is configured to pivot relative to the knee guard and the first lip is configured to interlock with the second lip when the first lip and the second lip meet at an interlocking angle.   
     
     
         9 . The leg guard of  claim 8 , wherein the first lip is formed as an inward facing lip and the second lip is formed as an outward facing lip. 
     
     
         10 . The leg guard of  claim 8 , wherein the interlocking angle is met when the thigh guard is configured to pivot to an angle of about 65 degrees to about 105 degrees relative to the knee guard. 
     
     
         11 . The leg guard of  claim 8 , wherein the first lip and the second lip have a height of about 0.10 inches to about 0.50 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The leg guard of  claim 8 , wherein the first lip and the second lip are L-shaped. 
     
     
         13 . A leg guard, comprising:
 a thigh guard comprising a first cover shell slidably attached to a cushion pad by a slide member, wherein the first cover shell comprises a first hinge member,   a knee guard pivotally attached to the thigh guard and positioned below the thigh guard, the knee guard comprising a second cover shell, the second cover shell comprising a second hinge member,   wherein, when the thigh guard pivots relative to the knee guard, the first hinge member is configured to interlock with the second hinge member at an interlocking angle and the first cover shell is configured to slide in a longitudinal direction relative to the cushion pad.   
     
     
         14 . The leg guard of  claim 13 , wherein the first cover shell comprises a guide slot and the slide member is slidably mounted within the guide slot. 
     
     
         15 . The leg guard of  claim 13 , wherein the slide member is fixedly secured to the cushion pad. 
     
     
         16 . The leg guard of  claim 13 , further comprising a plate positioned in between the first cover shell and the cushion pad, wherein the plate is formed of polyethylene. 
     
     
         17 . The leg guard of  claim 14 , wherein the guide slot has a length of about 0.25 inches to about 1.75 inches. 
     
     
         18 . The leg guard of  claim 13 , further comprising a shin guard attached to the knee guard by a knee-protecting pad spanning therebetween, wherein the knee-protecting pad is attached to a lower edge of the knee guard and an upper edge of the shin guard. 
     
     
         19 . The leg guard of  claim 18 , wherein the knee-protecting pad is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic rubber (TPR), thermoset rubber (TSR), nitrile rubber, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The leg guard of  claim 13 , wherein the knee guard further comprises a cushion pad affixed to a bottom side of the second cover shell, and wherein the second cover shell has a first surface area, the cushion has a second surface area, and the first surface area is less than the second surface area. 
     
     
         21 . The leg guard of  claim 20 , wherein the first surface area overlaps with about 70 percent to about 95 percent of the second surface area. 
     
     
         22 . The leg guard of  claim 20 , wherein the second cover shell comprises a center point and an outer edge, and the second cover shell has a width from the center point to the outer edge of about 3 inches to about 5 inches.