Sweat management pad for protective helmets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9872532-B2
Application number	US-201615395077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2016
Priority date	Mar 24, 2016
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A protective helmet may include an energy management material inside an outer surface, a rim positioned on an outwardly facing surface between an inner surface and the outer surface, a sweat management pad assembly with an absorbent forehead pad positioned in a front portion of the helmet proximate the rim, the assembly including at least one absorbent extension tab extending from the absorbent forehead pad and across a portion of a surface of the rim outward of the inner surface of the energy management material, wherein the absorbent extension tab extends at least half a distance across the rim between the inner surface and the outer surface, and a fastener positioned between the absorbent extension tab and the rim and coupling the absorbent extension tab to the rim.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A protective helmet, comprising:
a shell assembly comprising an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface, an energy management material positioned within the outer surface and the inner surface, and a rim positioned on an outwardly facing surface between the inner surface and the outer surface of the energy management material;
a fit system coupled to the energy management material inside the outer surface;
a sweat management pad assembly coupled to the fit system, the sweat management pad assembly comprising:
a moisture absorbent forehead pad positioned in a front portion of the helmet proximate the rim;
one or more pad fingers extending from the moisture absorbent forehead pad toward a rear end of the protective helmet; and
at least one moisture absorbent extension tab extending from the moisture absorbent forehead pad and across a portion of a surface of the rim outward of the inner surface, wherein the moisture absorbent extension tab extends at least half a distance across the rim between the inner surface and the outer surface; and

a fastener positioned between the moisture absorbent extension tab and the rim and coupling the moisture absorbent extension tab to the rim.

2. The protective helmet of claim 1 , wherein the moisture absorbent extension tab couples to the rim at the front portion of the helmet configured to be positioned above a nose of a wearer of the helmet.

3. The protective helmet of claim 1 , wherein the at least one moisture absorbent extension tab is positioned on the surface of the rim symmetrically about a center-line of the front portion of the helmet.

4. The protective helmet of claim 1 , wherein the moisture absorbent extension tab comprises a moisture wicking material adapted to draw moisture away from the forehead pad to the moisture absorbent extension tab.

5. The protective helmet of claim 1 , wherein the fastener removably couples the moisture absorbent extension tab to the rim.

6. A protective helmet, comprising:
an energy management material comprising an outer surface and an inner surface facing away from the outer surface, and a rim positioned between the inner surface and the outer surface;
a fit system coupled to the energy management material and positioned inside the helmet;
a pad assembly coupled to the fit system, the pad assembly comprising:
a moisture absorbent forehead pad positioned in a front portion of the helmet proximate the rim;
one or more pad fingers extending from the moisture absorbent forehead pad toward a rear end of the protective helmet; and
at least one moisture absorbent extension tab extending from the forehead pad and across a portion of a surface of the rim outward of the inner surface of the energy management material.

7. The protective helmet of claim 6 , further comprising a fastener positioned between the at least one moisture absorbent extension tab and the rim and coupling the moisture absorbent extension tab to the rim.

8. The protective helmet of claim 6 , wherein the at least one moisture absorbent extension tab extends across more than half a width of the rim between the inner surface and the outer surface.

9. The protective helmet of claim 8 , wherein the at least one moisture absorbent extension tab extends across at least ¾ of the width of the rim between the inner surface and the outer surface.

10. The protective helmet of claim 6 , wherein the at least one moisture absorbent extension tab couples to the rim at the front portion of the helmet configured to be positioned above a nose of a wearer of the helmet.

11. The protective helmet of claim 6 , wherein the at least one moisture absorbent extension tab couples to the rim at a front half of the helmet.

12. The protective helmet of claim 6 , wherein the at least one moisture absorbent extension tab is positioned on the surface of the rim symmetrically about a center-line of the front portion of the helmet.

13. The protective helmet of claim 6 , wherein the pad assembly removably couples to the energy management material.

14. A protective helmet, comprising:
a shell assembly comprising an outer surface and an inner surface facing away from the outer surface, and a rim positioned between the inner surface and the outer surface of the shell assembly; and
a pad assembly coupled to the helmet inside of the shell assembly, the pad assembly comprising:
a moisture absorbent forehead pad positioned in a front portion of the helmet proximate the rim;
one or more pad fingers extending from the moisture absorbent forehead pad toward a rear end of the protective helmet; and
at least one moisture absorbent extension tab coupled to the forehead pad and extending across a portion of a surface of the rim outward of the inner surface of the shell assembly.

15. The protective helmet of claim 14 , further comprising a fastener positioned between the moisture absorbent extension tab and the rim and coupling the moisture absorbent extension tab to the rim.

16. The protective helmet of claim 14 , wherein the shell assembly further comprises:
an outer shell, wherein the outer surface of the shell assembly is an outer surface of the outer shell; and
an energy management material positioned within the outer shell, wherein the inner surface of the shell assembly is an inner surface of the energy management material facing away from the outer shell.

17. The protective helmet of claim 16 , wherein the at least one moisture absorbent extension tab extends across at least ¾ of a distance across the rim between the inner surface and the outer surface, and wherein the at least one moisture absorbent extension tab couples to the rim at the front portion of the helmet positioned symmetrically about a center of the helmet.

18. The protective helmet of claim 14 , further comprising a recess in the surface of the rim, wherein a fastener removably couples the moisture absorbent extension tab to the rim at the recess.

19. The protective helmet of claim 18 , wherein the moisture absorbent extension tab does not protrude beyond a depth of the recess for more than half of a height of the moisture absorbent extension tab.

20. The protective helmet of claim 14 , wherein the moisture absorbent extension tab further comprises a plurality of channels on a surface of the moisture absorbent extension tab and extending outward from the forehead pad.

Assignees

• Bell Sports Inc

Inventors

• Muller Hilgard N

Classifications

• A63B71/10

  for the head ({A63B71/081 takes precedence } ; in the form of caps or hats A42B1/08; helmets A42B3/00) · CPC title

• A42B3/10

  Linings (A42B3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61F13/15203

  Properties of the article, e.g. stiffness or absorbency (chemical aspects A61L15/00) · CPC title

• A42B3/066

  specially adapted for cycling helmets, e.g. for soft shelled helmets · CPC title

• A42B3/127 Primary

  with removable or adjustable pads · CPC title