| 摘要 |
A limb protector comprising a knee element. In a preferred embodiment the knee element is pivotally coupled to an outer shell shin element. Padding is positioned between the leg and the outer shell(s) and may be formed of a shock absorbent foam, a plurality of interconnected fluid filled cushions, or a combination thereof. The padding may be coupled to the outer shell shin element so as to create a gap between itself and the outer shell shin element. Alternatively, the padding may positioned on the lateral and medial sides of the outer shell knee element to cradle the underlying leg. The outer shell shin element comprises a raised groove element protruding outward from the shin to form a shin-knee transition cavity located between the shin-knee transition of the leg and the outer shell shin element. The outer shell knee element comprises a centrally positioned domed element protruding outward from the knee generally overlying the patella and may also overlie the shin-knee transition area. The outer shell knee element may also have a tongue element extending downward toward the ankle so as to interlock within the raised groove element. The padding element may comprise a U-shaped opening positioned underneath the raised groove and above the shin-knee transition of the leg and an elongated flange element in overlapping configuration with a portion of the padding that is located below the U-shaped opening. The padding element and the outer shell element(s) are configured so that the shin-knee transition area and the patella do not absorb force.
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