KNEE PAD ADAPTABLE TO THE NEEDS OF THE CONSUMER AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE KNEE PAD Russian patent published in 2022 - IPC B29C44/00 

FIELD: wearing apparel.

SUBSTANCE: present invention relates to knee protection means, more specifically, to knee pads adaptable to the needs of the consumer, and to a method for manufacturing the knee pads. Knee pad adaptable to the needs of the consumer comprises a main body made of a foamed material, with an outer surface and an inner surface moulded to match the shape of the knee. The outer surface is made with spaced recesses within the area covering the protected knee. The inner surface is lined with a fabric layer. A gel pad is provided inside the main body. The main body of the knee pad is die-cast together with the gel layer and the fabric layer, wherein the fabric layer and the gel pad are retained in place in the process of casting so as to be moulded integrally with the cast main body. The method for moulding the knee pad includes the stages of providing a mould configured to impart a configuration to the inner surface that matches the recesses within the predetermined protection area of the knee pad, wherein the density of location and the sizes of the resulting recesses define the compression impact area. The gel pad is retained inside the casting mould, and the casting mould is lined with a fabric layer so that the fabric layer is distanced from the gel pad. Foam is then injected into the casting mould until the latter fills the casting mould, enveloping the gel pad and coming into contact with the fabric layer, so that the foam binds the gel pad with the fabric layer. By changing the shape of recesses and the gaps between the recesses, the flexibility of the knee pad can be changed, making the knee pad harder or softer.

EFFECT: creation of a knee pad easily adaptable to the needs of the consumer, structurally simple and cost-effective in manufacture, easy and convenient to use, shaped so as to provide the required level of softness or hardness, depending on the field of application wherein repeated casting with a gel pad can be applied; wherein the pad integrates with the foamed material of the cup or the mould, and thus the casting process is simplified and the displacement of the gel pad over time is prevented; said knee pad comprises a soft fabric lining layer that can be integrated with the foamed material of the cup or the mould in order to simplify manufacture and prevent the detachment of the fabric layer from the foamed material of the cup or the mould after prolonged use of the knee pad.

14 cl, 7 dwg