Method and device of a plate for providing a surface for attachment of a chin pad on a baseball or softball fielders face mask.

Abstract

A method and device of a plate for providing a surface for attachment of a chin pad on a baseball or softball fielders face.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

I hereby claim the benefit under Title 35, U.S.C. §119© of a U.S. Provisional Patent Application filed on Mar. 17, 2010 and having serial No. 61-340381.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention generally provides a method and device for providing a surface for attachment of a chin pad on a baseball of softball fielder's face mask.

Recently, person's engaged in Baseball or Softball sports have begun to utilize a protective face mask when playing defense to prevent injury to the face. In the use of a protective fielder's face mask in baseball and softball, it is necessary for the protective face mask to include a pad for the wearer's chin to protect the chin from impact.

Current designs of protective fielder's face masks utilize a part of the main frame member of the face mask body to attach the chin pad to the mask. The current designs include, but are not limited to, the following limitations and/or shortcomings:

1) Lack of versatility in positioning the chin pad placement.

2) Lack of versatility in providing selective chin pad sizes

3) Lack of versatility in allowing the chin pad and chin pad attachment portion to match in terms of curvature and shape.

The current designs are further limited in efficient construction and design as a result of having to utilize part of the main frame member of the face mask body to attach the chin pad to the mask. Because the main frame member of current designs must be large enough to provide a sufficient surface to attach a chip pad, the resulting designs are heavier, more bulky, and obstruct a player's visibility, which negatively effects the players ability to perform their best while wearing the protective face mask.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a plate for providing a surface for attachment of a chin pad that solves these problems in a manner unknown heretofore. The present invention is capable of providing the manufacturer with the ability to manufacture the main frame member of the protective face mask in a lighter, less bulky, and less visually obtrusive design since the plate is utilized to provide a sufficient surface to attach the chin pad.

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. However, any single inventive feature may not address any of the problems discussed above or may only address one of the problems discussed above. Further, one or more of the problems discussed above may not be fully addressed by any of the features described below.

The method and device of the use of a plate for providing a surface for attachment of a chin pad on a baseball or softball fielders face mask include, but is not limited to, the following advantages:

1) Providing a stronger base for the attachment of the chin pad

2) Providing a more secure adhesion of the chin pad to the fielder's face mask

3) More versatile positioning of the chin pad for the wearer

4) More versatile in providing selective chin pad sizing.

5) More versatile in allowing the chin pad and the plate to match in terms of curvature and shape for more secure attachment.

An embodiment of this material and/or process can be sized and shaped to fit any design and/or shape it is needed for.

An embodiment of this method could be applied to any and all baseball or softball protective face masks to assist in attachment of a chin pad.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention constructed in accordance with the teaching of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a protective face mask, generally designated Ref. 11. The plate, designated as Ref. 10, which is constructed in accordance with the teaching of the present invention, is utilized to attach a pad for the wearer's chin Ref. 12, to the protective face mask Ref. 11.

It can therefore be seen that according to the present invention, there is provided a novel plate Ref. 10 that solves limitations in terms of design and construction that exist in current designs due to the inability to attached a pad for the wearer's chin Ref. 12 to the protective face mask Ref. 11.

While the invention has been described with respect to a preferred physical embodiment constructed in accordance therewith, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrative embodiment, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method and device of a plate for providing a surface for attachment of a chin pad on a baseball or softball fielders face mask.