A shoulder pad assembly for contact sports such as hockey is described. Two separate shoulder assemblies, in the form of generally U-shaped shoulder bands, are each pivotally connected fore and aft to chest and back pieces. Preferably the pivotal connections are co-axial, so that there are just two pivot points, namely fore and aft pivot points centrally located on the chest and back pieces, thus generally defining a V-shape for the shoulder portions of the pad. Preferably, the flexibility is limited by the use of a pivot clip at each pivot point, the pivot clip having at least one post disposed from the pivot axis and projecting from the clip through an arcuate slot in each shoulder band, the arcuate slots being of finite length such that further pivoting is prevented once the post reaches an end of the slot.

A shoulder pad assembly for protecting the upper body and shoulders. The shoulder pad assembly includes a substantially rigid outer shell having left and right body members. Each of the body members has a generally horizontally disposed arched portion for spanning one of the shoulders. A chest plate portion and a back plate portion depend from the arched portion. The shoulder pad assembly also includes a cantilever support extending between the plate portions for supporting the outer shell above the shoulders to substantially reduce the impact of the outer shell on the shoulders. The cantilever support is configured to support the outer shell above the trapezius muscle such that, when the muscle is substantially developed, the generally horizontally disposed arched portion is evenly supported on the trapezius muscle by the cantilever support.

A shoulder pad which has auxiliary pads designed to conform to the shape of the wearer's shoulder. In one embodiment of the invention, a hook-and-loop fastening strap is used to enable a series of wedge-like pads to be moved to various positions on the inside of the shoulder pad. The series of auxiliary pads may be a group of three individual pads, each pad being independently positionable, or the auxiliary pads may be a group of hingedly connected pads positionable as a unit. To allow the auxiliary pads to be positioned at various locations, the shoulder area of the main cushion of the shoulder pad is equipped with a hook-and-loop fabric. The moveable auxiliary pads can be placed at any location on the fabric. The auxiliary pads of the present invention distribute impact forces in such a way as to reduce the chance of sustaining injury.

An athletic brace to be worn with conventional shoulder pads for reducing the chance of subluxation of the shoulder which includes a wide elastic member that is internally wrapped about the upper arm and brought across the chest for attachment to the front of the shoulder pads. The elastic member tends to limit both abduction and external rotation of the upper arm of the user thereby reducing the chance of the athlete reaching the point that tends to stress the glenohumeral joint to the point of subluxation or dislocation.

Where an electrical connection is needed between an electric circuit on a substrate and a component with very finely spaced leads, pads are formed on the substrate at points where such connections to the circuit are to be made. A solder paste is deposited using a particular, described stencil having a thickness and apertures with specific tolerances. The component is positioned so that its leads to be attached are contiguous with corresponding pads, and the electrical connections are completed by reflowing the solder paste forming consistent and reliable electrical joints of solder alloy.