Abrasion and cut resistant protective clothing for bicycling

• US 5,210,877 A
• Filed: 10/04/1991
• Issued: 05/18/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Howard J. Newman
• Original Assignee: Howard J. Newman
• Inventors: Newman, Howard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crowder, Clifford D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANATTA, AMY B
• Application Number:
  US07/771,240
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 2/2, 2/2.5, 2/22, 2/92, 2/2.1 R, 2/238, 2/115, 2/227, 2/79, 2/23, 2/16, 2/122, 2/228, 2/243 A
• US Class Current: 2/456
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/067 with reinforcement patches
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/084 for cycling
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/00 Professional, industrial or sporting protective garments, e.g. surgeons' gowns or garments protecting against blows or punches helmets A42B3/00; clothing affording protection against chemical agents or for use at high altitudes A62B17/00; life-saving garments for use at sea, diving suits B63C; bulletproof or armoured clothing F41H; clothing affording protection against radiation G21F3/02
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2600/104 Cycling
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/24 Resistant to mechanical stress, e.g. pierce-proof aprons resistant to mechanical aggressions A41D13/043

Abstract

Outerwear for bicyclists which substantially protects the rider from cuts and abrasions in the event of a fall or crash, particularly of bicycle racers. The outerwear is constructed with protective fabric panels containing abrasion and cut resistant high performance fibers or yarn, such as ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. The fibers or yarn are woven, knitted, or knit-woven with conventional man made or natural fibers or yarn so that they are evenly distributed through the protective panels. The protective panels are structural components of the garment and are sewn or otherwise attached to panels or sections of conventional textile to complete the garment. The upper outerwear defines a pair of arm openings, a waist opening, and a neck opening. Protective panels on and upper outerwear are placed to protect the shoulders, outer arms, and upper back of the wearing. The lower outerwear defines a waist opening and a pair of leg openings. The lower outerwear contains abrasion and cut resistant panels placed to protect the hips and outer thighs, knees, and buttocks of the wearer. The outerwear is effective to retain the abrasion resistant panels in place over or against the body of the wearer while riding a bicycle and on body impact with the road or riding surface.

Claims

1. Protective outerwear worn for bicycling comprising:

separate, single layer, lightweight, abrasion resistant, woven, knit, or knit-woven protective fabric panels comprising ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber of approximately 215 denier, for protection of a bicyclist'"'"'s body from abrasion due to moving contact with a road surface;

wherein said protective outerwear is a short sleeve bicycle jersey comprising one said protective fabric panel located at a rear yoke region behind the neck and shoulders of a wearer and extending the width of the wearer'"'"'s back to a pair of sleeve openings;

two tubular short sleeves attached to the sleeve openings, each said sleeve comprising one said protective panel extending over and covering the outer regions of the wearer'"'"'s shoulder and upper arm; and

said yoke region and sleeves of the outerwear consist of a single layer of fabric;

wherein the protective panels are located only in said yoke region and sleeves of the jersey.

2. Protective outerwear worn for bicycling, comprising:

separate, single layer, lightweight, abrasion resistant, woven, knit, or knit-woven protective fabric panels comprising ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber of approximately 215 denier, for protection of a bicyclist'"'"'s body from abrasion due to moving contact with a road surface;

wherein said protective outerwear is a long sleeve bicycle jersey comprising one said protective fabric panel located at a rear yoke region behind the neck and shoulders of a wearer and extending the width of the wearer'"'"'s back to a pair of sleeve openings;

two tubular long sleeves attached to the sleeve openings, each said sleeve comprising at least one said protective panel extending over and covering the outer regions of the wearer'"'"'s shoulder, upper arm, elbow, and lower arm to the wrist; and

said yoke region and sleeves of the outerwear consist of a single layer of fabric;

wherein the protective panels are located only in said yoke region and sleeves of the jersey.

3. Protective outerwear worn for bicycling comprising:

separate, single layer, lightweight, abrasion resistant, woven, knit, or knit-woven protective fabric panels comprising ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber of approximately 215 denier, for protection of a bicyclist'"'"'s body from abrasion due to moving contact with a road surface;

wherein said protective outerwear is a long sleeve bicycling jacket comprising one said protective fabric panel located at a rear yoke region behind the neck and shoulders of a wearer and extending the width of the wearer'"'"'s back to a pair of sleeve openings;

two tubular long sleeves attached to the sleeve openings;

each said sleeve comprising at least one said protective panel covering the outer regions of the wearer'"'"'s shoulder, upper arm, elbow, and lower arm to the wrist; and

said yoke region and sleeves of the outerwear consist of a single layer of fabric;

wherein the protective panels are located only in said yoke region and sleeves of the jersey.

4. Protective outerwear worn for bicycling comprising:

separate, single layer, lightweight, abrasion resistant, woven, knit, or knit-woven protective fabric panels comprising ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber of approximately 215 denier, for protection of a bicyclist'"'"'s body from abrasion due to moving contact with a road surface;

wherein said protective outerwear is bicycling shorts having two tubular leg portions, a front portion, a rear buttocks portion, a waist opening, and two leg openings located above the knees of a wearer, further comprising at least one said protective panel in the buttocks portion of the shorts, said at least one panel extending laterally to cover the width of the wearer'"'"'s lower back and hips and extending downwardly to cover the buttocks;

at least two said protective panels, each in an outer thigh portion of each leg portion of the shorts, each said panel extending downwardly from the waist opening to the leg opening and covering the hips and outer thighs of the wearer; and

said buttocks portion and outer thigh portions of the outerwear consist of a single layer of fabric;

wherein the protective panels are located only in said buttocks portion and outer thigh portion of the shorts.

5. Protective outerwear worn for bicycling comprising:

separate, single layer, lightweight, abrasion resistant, woven, knit, or knit-woven protective fabric panels comprising ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber of approximately 215 denier, for protection of a bicyclist'"'"'s body from abrasion due to moving contact with a road surface;

wherein said protective outerwear is full length bicycling tights having two tubular leg portions, a front portion, a rear buttocks portion, a waist opening, and two leg opening located at the ankles of a wearer, further comprising at least one said protective panel in the buttocks portion of the tights, said at least one panel extending laterally to cover the width of the wearer'"'"'s lower back and hips and extending downwardly to cover the buttocks;

at least two said protective panels, each in a leg portion of the tights, each said panel extending downwardly from the waist opening and covering the hips, outer thighs, and knees of the wearer, each said panel covering the outer region of the leg from the waist opening down to the opening; and

said buttocks portion and leg portion of the outerwear consist of a single layer of fabric;

wherein the protective panels are located only in said buttocks portion and leg portions of the tights.