Catcher's helmet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9743702-B2
Application number	US-201514878431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2015
Priority date	May 8, 2015
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A catcher's mask comprises a two-piece plastic shell composed of a rigid front shell and a rigid rear shell. The front and rear shells are connected by a strap harness attached to the front shell and have padding assemblies. The front shell has ventilation holes including dual ear holes positioned over the wearer's ears and a full jaw protector integrally formed as part of front shell. A wire faceguard is removably attached to the front shell extending over the ear holes. A front liner is installed in the brow area, crown area, and side areas of the front shell, a middle liner extending around the rear inner surface of the front shell, a suspended foam jaw pad, and a central chin pad. The rear shell has a concave padding assembly comprised of a concave TPU shock absorbing layer, and a nested concave comfort layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A catcher's mask comprising:
a two-piece plastic shell composed of a front shell and a rear shell, the front shell being rigid and composed of plastic, the rear shell being rigid, concave, and composed of plastic, the front shell and a rear shell joined by an elastic strap harness, the two-piece plastic shell being adapted to receive and protect the head of a wearer;
the front shell having an inner surface, an outer surface, a front region, a crown region, a rear region, a left side region, and a right side region;
the front shell further having a face opening defined by a top front edge, a left front edge, and a right front edge;
the front shell further having a rear opening partially defined by a rear edge;
a front liner removably attached to the inner surface of the front shell;
the front liner comprising a first shock absorbing layer, the first shock absorbing layer comprising a first base sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane formed into a first plurality of clusters, each cluster of said first plurality of clusters comprising a first plurality of hollow protrusions protruding from the first base sheet and distributed over an area of the cluster, each hollow protrusion of said plurality of hollow protrusions having a sidewall and a peak, the sidewall being collapsible for absorbing shocks, the first plurality of clusters joined by and spaced apart by regions of the first base sheet having no protrusions;
the front liner further comprising a first inner plastic sheet bonded to the first base sheet and registering with the first base sheet;
the front liner further comprising a first plurality of pockets formed in the first inner plastic sheet, each of the pockets of said plurality of pockets overlaying and registering with a cluster and containing a foam pad, such that the cluster, pocket, and pad together comprise a front liner cushion;
the front liner further comprising a central row of front liner cushions comprising, in order, a first central cushion, a second central cushion, a third central cushion a fourth central cushion, and a fifth central cushion;
the front liner further comprising a first jaw cushion connected to the first central cushion and a second jaw cushion connected to the fifth central cushion;
the front liner further comprising a first crown cushion connected to the second central cushion, a second crown cushion connected to the fourth central cushion, and a third crown cushion connected to the second crown cushion;
the front liner removably attached to the inner surface of the front shell such that the central row is positioned above the top front edge to register approximately with the brow of the wearer, the third central cushion positioned to register approximately with the middle brow of the wearer, the first jaw cushion and second jaw cushion positioned to register approximately with the jaws of the wearer, and the third crown cushion to register approximately with an apex of the crown region of the front shell.

2. The catcher's mask of claim 1 further comprising:
a middle liner removably attached to the inner surface of the front shell;
the middle liner comprising a second shock absorbing layer, the second shock absorbing layer comprising a second base sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane formed into a second plurality of clusters, each cluster of said second plurality of clusters comprising a second plurality of hollow protrusions protruding from the second base sheet and distributed over an area of the cluster, each hollow protrusion of said second plurality of hollow protrusions having a sidewall and a peak, the sidewall being collapsible for absorbing shocks, the second plurality of clusters joined by and spaced apart by regions of the second base sheet having no protrusions;
the middle liner further comprising a second inner plastic sheet bonded to the second base sheet and registering with the second base sheet;
the middle liner further comprising a second plurality of pockets formed in the second inner plastic sheet, each of the pockets of said second plurality of pockets overlaying and registering with a cluster and containing a foam pad, such that the cluster, pocket, and pad together comprise a middle liner cushion;
the middle liner further comprising a row of middle liner cushions;
the middle liner removably attached to the inner surface of the front shell such that the middle liner is positioned along the rear edge of the front shell extending from the left side region to the right side region.

3. The catcher's mask of claim 1 further comprising:
a concave padding assembly removably attached to and nested within a concave inner surface of the rear shell;
the concave padding assembly comprising a third shock absorbing layer, the third shock absorbing layer comprising a third base sheet of thermoplastic polyurethane formed into a third plurality of hollow protrusions protruding from the third base sheet and distributed over an area of the third base sheet, each hollow protrusion of said third plurality of hollow protrusions having a sidewall and a peak, the sidewall being collapsible for absorbing shocks; the peaks of the third plurality of hollow protrusions being formed at angles with respect to their respective sidewalls such that the peaks lie in a convex surface conforming to the concave inner surface of the rear shell so that the peaks contact the concave inner surface of the rear shell without substantial deformation of the protrusions; the middle liner having an inner surface;
the concave padding assembly further comprising a concave comfort layer removably attached to and nested within the concave inner surface of the third shock absorbing layer, the concave comfort layer comprising a molded pad of foam material.

4. The catcher's mask of claim 1 further comprising:
jaw padding comprising a thin, flexible, roughly kidney-shaped elongated foam member enclosed in a fabric comfort layer and removably suspended to the inner surface of the first shell from two points above a lower edge of the front shell to register approximately with the lower jaw of the wearer.

5. The catcher's mask of claim 1 further comprising:
a full jaw protector integrally formed with the front shell and having an inner surface;
a chin pad removably attached to the inner surface of the full jaw protector to register approximately with the mental protuberance of the chin of the wearer;
the chin pad comprising a roughly rectangular foam pad having sides tapering from a base to a peak;
the chin pad curved so as to conform to an inner curvature of the full jaw protector.

6. The catcher's mask of claim 1 further comprising:
a face guard comprised of a plurality of wire members joined together to form a protective grid, the face guard removably connected to the front shell so as to cover at least the face opening;
the plurality of wire members comprising a top horizontal upper member and a bottom horizontal upper member;
the plurality of wire members further comprising a top horizontal lower member, a middle horizontal lower member, a bottom horizontal lower member, and a first vertical member connecting the top horizontal lower member, middle horizontal lower member, and bottom horizontal lower member;
the plurality of wire members further comprising a second vertical member and a third vertical member connecting the bottom horizontal upper member and top horizontal lower member;
wherein the bottom horizontal upper member and top horizontal lower member define a vision gap therebetween;
wherein the top upper member is removably connected to the front shell at points above the top front edge and the bottom lower member is removably connected to the front shell at points below the right front edge and left front edge; and
wherei

Assignees

• Kranos Ip Corp

Inventors

• Warmouth Cortney
• Vanhoutin Louis Anthony
• Long Vincent R
• Meyer Dan

Classifications

• A42B3/20

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

• A42B3/127 Primary

  with removable or adjustable pads · CPC title

• A42B3/32

  Collapsible helmets; Helmets made of separable parts {; Helmets with movable parts, e.g. adjustable} · CPC title

• A42B3/283

  Air inlets or outlets, with or without closure shutters · CPC title