Kneepad

I had talked with some people in the construction industry and it was brought to my attention that contractors that use kneepads seem to not like them very much.  Of all of the people surveyed, almost all of them complained of the following problems:

• Foam breaking down prematurely
• Kneepad pushing against the thigh and causing discomfort
• Straps bunching up behind the knee and causing discomfort
• Kneepad not staying in place
• Kneepads getting hot.  This heat caused inflammation and injury to knees
• On models that had hard caps, they often caused pinching against the sides of the knee as well as the knee rolling off the sides of them
• Kneepads would slide down the leg when crawling
• Kneepads were uncomfortable to walk in
• Debris would often get between the foam and the knee causing injury
• Some designs would not slide on carpet
• Some designs would leave marks on hardwood floors

I created a new designed that used a Nylon “Spine” that ran along the front of the shin and up around the knee.  This spine possessed an over-center pivoting hinge with a cam.  This allowed the upper part of the kneepad to pivot 38 degrees forward when the leg was straightened. When the leg was straightened the thigh would push the upper kneepad into the forward position.  When the knee was kneeled upon the hinge would snap back into the working position.

The lower part of the Nylon “Spine” provides impact protection for the shin.

The upper part of the Nylon “Spine” is formed into a flat, load-bearing pad directly over the patella.  This flat area allows high stability when kneeled upon.  If left bare the flat area slides easily on carpet.  If traction is needed a durable rubber pad may be attached.  If non-skid is desired then a special non-skid pad may be attached.  This flat area also has an impact absorbing feature designed in as well as stabilizing features that go around the sides of the knee.  These features wrap around the sides of the knee and are able to flex to accommodate different widths of knees without pinching.

Since the kneepad was able to move forward, the elastomer part of the kneepad was able to be formed into a cupped shape that completely surrounded the knee.  This cup shape allowed the kneepad to stay in place when crawling, kept debris out, and sat comfortably out in front of the thigh when pivoted forward.  Venting was added to the upper kneepad elastomer to allow the patella to remain cool, reducing swelling and injury caused by excessive heat.

The foam in the upper half is composed of high density closed cell foam that is able to take high compressive loads without taking a set.  It is also water/sweat resistant.  Many kneepads are constructed from an inferior foam compress and become useless within the first few hours of use but ours holds its shape and almost never wears out.  Other competitors use exotic materials and gels but their benefits are usually outweighed by the heat that they retain around the patella.  This heat is the leading cause of knee injury complaints.

The foam on the lower half of the kneepad is an eggcrate style open cell foam.  Since this part is always against the shin it utilizes the eggcrate design to help keep the shin cool.  The open cell foam is soft and comfortable.  Since this foam does not take compressive loads it also has a very high lifespan.

The 2 straps that hold each kneepad in place both attach to the lower leg.  They are routed above and below the calf so they tend to stay in place.  Since there is no strap on the upper leg bunching behind the knee has been eliminated.

These kneepads are rebuildable and interchangeable from side to side.  Patent # US 6,795,974 B1