Sports helmet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10136692-B2
Application number	US-201314022011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2013
Priority date	May 1, 2002
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides a protective sports helmet for a wearer engaged in a contact sport, such as football. The helmet includes a shell having a front region, a rear region, two side regions, and an ear flap depending from a side region. A jaw flap extends forwardly from each ear flap, wherein the jaw flap overlies an extent of a mandible of the wearer. The shell also includes a raised central band that extends from the front region across the crown to the rear region. The central band has lower side portions that extend from the rear region towards the side region of the shell and terminate proximate an ear opening in the shell. The central band has a width defined by a pair of opposed sidewalls that extend transversely from an outer surface of the shell. The shell also includes a first plurality of vent openings aligned along a first side of the raised central band and a second plurality of vent openings aligned along a second side of the band.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A football helmet comprising:
a plastic shell configured to receive a head of a wearer of the helmet, the shell having:
a front region;
a crown region;
a rear region;
two side regions wherein each side region has an ear flap with an ear opening;
a raised central band integrally formed as part of the shell and extending across the crown region;
a first plurality of elongated vent openings formed in the shell outside of the raised central band, wherein the first plurality of vent openings are aligned, and positioned along a first side of the raised central band; and
a second plurality of elongated vent openings formed in the shell outside of the raised central band, wherein the second plurality of vent openings are aligned, and positioned along a second side of the raised central band.

2. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the raised central band has a width defined by a pair of opposed side walls that extend transversely from an outer surface of the shell.

3. The football helmet of claim 2 , wherein the side wall has a curvilinear configuration as it extends across the crown region.

4. The football helmet of claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of vent openings are positioned adjacent to one of the pair of side walls.

5. The football helmet of claim 4 , wherein the second plurality of vent openings are positioned adjacent to the other of the pair of side walls.

6. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the raised central band extends from the crown region to the rear region of the shell.

7. The football helmet of claim 6 , wherein the raised central band has a width defined by a pair of opposed sidewalls that extend transversely from an outer surface of the shell, and wherein the side wall has a curvilinear configuration as it extends across the crown region to the rear region of the shell.

8. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein at least one vent opening in the first plurality of vent openings is positioned in the crown region of the shell, and wherein at least one vent opening in the second plurality of vent opening is positioned in the crown region.

9. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein a first vent opening in the first plurality of vent openings is laterally aligned with a first vent opening in the second plurality of vent openings.

10. The football helmet of claim 9 , wherein a second vent opening in the first plurality of vent openings is laterally aligned with a second vent opening in the second plurality of vent openings.

11. The football helmet of claim 1 , further comprising an integral jaw flap that extends forward from the ear flap, wherein the front edge of the jaw flap is positioned both in front of a coronal plane and below a basic plane of the head of a wearer of the helmet.

12. The football helmet of claim 11 , wherein each jaw flap has a bottom edge, a substantially linear front edge and a top edge that is inclined from the front edge, and wherein the front edge and the top edge of the jaw flap define an obtuse angle.

13. The football helmet of claim 11 , further comprising a jaw pad removably attached to an inner surface of the jaw flap, wherein the jaw pad has a force attenuating layer, the force attenuating layer having a density of at least 5 pounds per cubic foot and at least a 25% compression deflection of 8 pounds per square inch per the ASTM D-1056 standard.

14. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein at least one vent opening in the first plurality of vent openings is positioned in the crown region of the shell.

15. The football helmet of claim 14 , wherein at least one vent opening in the first plurality of vent openings is positioned in the rear region of the shell.

16. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the raised central band extends from the front portion of the shell across the crown region.

17. The football helmet of claim 16 , wherein a first vent opening in the first plurality of vent openings is positioned a first distance from a frontal edge of the front region of the shell, and a first vent opening in the second plurality of vent openings is positioned a second distance from the frontal edge, and wherein the first distance and the second distance are equal.

18. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the raised central band lacks any vent openings.

19. The football helmet of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of vent openings have an elongated configuration.

20. A football helmet comprising:
a one-piece shell configured to receive a head of a wearer of the helmet, the shell having:
a front region;
a crown region;
a rear region;
two side regions wherein each side region has an ear flap with an ear opening;
a raised central band integrally formed as part of the shell and extending across the crown region to the rear region, the raised central band having a width defined by a pair of opposed side walls that extend transversely from an outer surface of the shell, wherein a front extent of the opposed side walls do not converge;
a first plurality of elongated vent openings formed in the shell outside of the raised central band, wherein the first plurality of elongated vent openings are substantially aligned along a first side wall of the raised central band;
a second plurality of elongated vent openings formed in the shell outside of the raised central band, wherein the second plurality of elongated vent openings are substantially aligned along a second side wall of the raised central band; and, a face guard secured to the shell by a plurality of connectors.

21. The football helmet of claim 20 , wherein the raised central band lacks any vent openings.

22. The football helmet of claim 20 , wherein the front region has at least one face guard connector and each ear flap has a face guard connector, and wherein a face guard is secured to the shell by the face guard connectors.

23. The football helmet of claim 20 , wherein the shell has a frontal face guard connection component for securement of an upper, frontal portion of the face guard, wherein the first and second plurality of vent openings include a first vent opening, and wherein the distance between an outer edge of the first vent openings exceeds a width of the frontal face guard connection component.

24. The football helmet of claim 20 , wherein the shell has a frontal face guard connection component for securement of an upper, frontal portion of the face guard, wherein a first vent opening in the first plurality of vent openings is positioned a first distance from the face guard connection component and a first vent opening in the second plurality of vent openings is positioned a second distance from the face guard connection component, and wherein the first distance and the second distance are equal.

25. The football helmet of claim 20 , wherein the shell has a frontal face guard connection component for securement of an upper, frontal portion of the face guard, the frontal face guard connection component defining a height and a width, and wherein the first and second plurality of vent openings each include a first vent opening, and wherein the distance between outer edges of the first vent openings exceeds the width of the frontal face guard connection component.

26. The football helmet of claim 20 , wherein an end portion of the first side wall extends transversely away from the raised central band.

27. The football helmet

Assignees

• Riddell

Inventors

• Ide Thad M
• Infusino Ralph J
• Kraemer Nelson
• Withnall Christopher R P
• Bayne Timothy D

Classifications

• A42B3/20

  Face guards, e.g. for ice hockey (A42B3/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A42B3/122

  inflatable · CPC title

• A42B3/125 Primary

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

• A42B3/08

  Chin straps or similar retention devices · CPC title

• A42B3/12

  Cushioning devices · CPC title