Helmet comprising an occipital adjustment mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10092056-B2
Application number	US-201414293371-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2014
Priority date	Sep 3, 2010
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A hockey or lacrosse helmet with a rear shell having a central elongated slot extending along a longitudinal axis of the helmet; a rear inner pad for facing the back and left and right side regions of the head, the rear inner pad being mounted to the rear shell; an occipital inner pad located below the rear inner pad for facing the occipital region of the head; and a single wedging member located between the rear shell and the occipital inner pad, the single wedging member being movable along the longitudinal axis of the helmet from a first position to a second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A helmet for receiving a head of a hockey or lacrosse player, the head having a crown region, left and right side regions, a back region and an occipital region, the helmet comprising:
a shell comprising a rear portion for facing the back region and occipital region of the head;
a rear inner padded portion disposed within the rear portion of the shell for facing the hack region of the head;
an occipital inner padded portion disposed within the rear portion of the shell and located below the rear inner padded portion for facing the occipital region of the head;
a wedging member located between the rear portion of the shell and the occipital inner padded portion, the wedging member being movable in a direction aligned with an imaginary vertical longitudinal plan that bisects the helmet in two generally symmetrical halves from a first position to a second position, wherein, in use, in the first position, the occipital inner padded portion is configured to apply a first pressure upon the occipital region of the head, and in the second position, the occipital inner padded portion is configured to apply a second pressure upon the occipital region of the head, the second pressure being different from the first pressure; and
an actuator connected to the wedging member, the actuator being accessible to the player for moving the wedging member between the first and second positions, wherein the rear portion of the shell comprises an elongated slot extending in the direction aligned with the imaginary vertical longitudinal plan, wherein the actuator is connected to the wedging member through the slot and wherein the first and second positions are located at different positions along the slot.

2. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a post extending through the elongated slot and wherein the actuator is movable along the elongated slot.

3. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the actuator is movable along the elongated slot, the actuator comprising a button portion that is accessible to the player such that the player can operate the actuator, a post portion extending from the button portion and through the elongated slot and a distal end connecting the actuator to the wedging member.

4. A helmet as defined in claim 3 , wherein the wedging member comprises a locking mechanism for preventing the wedging member from moving unintentionally.

5. A helmet as defined in claim 4 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises protrusions provided on the wedging member and adapted to register between notches extending from an inner surface of the rear portion of the shell.

6. A helmet as defined in claim 5 , wherein the actuator is made of a resilient material such that the actuator returns to its original shape when pressure is no longer applied on the button portion by the player.

7. A helmet as defined in claim 6 , wherein upon pressing of the button portion by the player, the button portion is compressed and moves the post portion for disengaging the protrusions such that movement of the wedging member is possible.

8. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the rear portion of the shell has a horizontal curvature and wherein the occipital inner padded portion has a rear surface that is elongated in a horizontal direction of the helmet.

9. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the helmet comprises a central member extending along the vertical direction of the helmet, the central member comprising an upper part hingedly mounted with respect to the rear portion of the shell and a lower part mounted to the occipital inner padded portion, the wedging member being located between the rear portion of the shell and the central member.

10. A helmet as defined in claim 9 , wherein the upper part of the central member is mounted to the rear portion of the shell or to the rear inner padded portion.

11. A helmet as defined in claim 9 , wherein the central member is integral with either one or both the occipital inner padded portion at its bottom part and the rear inner padded portion at its upper part.

12. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the occipital inner padded portion is made of expanded polypropylene or expanded polyethylene or polyethylene foam.

13. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the occipital inner padded portion is partially made of a soft absorbent material.

14. A helmet as defined in 1 , wherein the shell is a one-piece shell.

15. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises a front portion for facing the crown region of the head and a front inner padded portion mounted to the front portion of the shell.

16. A helmet as defined in claim 15 , wherein the rear portion of the shell is movable relative to the front portion of the shell for allowing size adjustment of the helmet.

17. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the helmet comprises left and right side inner padded portions mounted to the rear portion of the shell.

18. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second position is closer to a top region of the helmet than the first position and the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

19. A hockey or lacrosse helmet, the helmet comprising:
a shell;
an occipital padded portion connected to the shell and movable with respect thereto;
a wedging member located between a rear portion of the shell and the occipital padded portion, the wedging member being movable in a direction aligned with an imaginary vertical longitudinal plan that bisects the helmet in two generally symmetrical halves by a user of the helmet from a first position to a second position to push the occipital padded portion towards a front portion of the shell; and
an actuator connected to the wedging member, the actuator being accessible to the user for moving the wedging member between the first and second positions, wherein the rear portion of the shell comprises an elongated slot extending in the direction aligned with the imaginary vertical longitudinal plan, wherein the actuator is connected to the wedging member through the slot and wherein the first and second positions are located at different positions along the slot.

20. A helmet as defined in claim 19 , wherein the actuator is a single actuator and the slot is a single slot.

21. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the wedging member is configured to wedge the occipital inner padded portion when the wedging member is moved from the first position to the second position such as to cause the occipital inner padded portion to apply the second pressure.

22. A helmet as defined in claim 21 , wherein the wedging member has a thickness that gradually increases from a first end to a second end of the wedging member.

23. A helmet as defined in claim 1 , wherein the wedging member is linearly movable in the direction aligned with the imaginary vertical longitudinal plan from the first position to the second position.

24. A helmet as defined in claim 19 , wherein the wedging member is configured to wedge the occipital padded portion when the wedging member is moved from the first position to the second position such as to push the occipital padded portion towards the front portion of the shell.

25. A helmet as defined in claim 19 , wherein the actuator is a single actuator and the slot is a single slot.

Assignees

• Bauer Hockey Inc
• Bauer Hockey Llc

Inventors

• Durocher Jacques

Classifications

• A42B3/085 Primary

  Occipital retention systems · CPC title

• A42B3/125 Primary

  with a padded structure, e.g. foam · CPC title