U.S. patent application number 12/584713 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-17 for faceguard.
Invention is credited to Joseph B. Wismann.
Application Number | 20110061152 12/584713 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43729006 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110061152 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wismann; Joseph B. |
March 17, 2011 |
Faceguard
Abstract
A faceguard to be mounted on a football helmet which greatly
reduces the ability of an opposing player to penetrate the exterior
surface of the faceguard and grasp, with his/her hands, the
faceguard and rotate the wearer's head in such a way as to cause
injury to the wearer's head, neck, or spine. Furthermore, the
faceguard will accomplish the above stated while still providing
appropriate ventilation for the wearer and allow the wearer to
receive water from a standard squeeze type sports water bottle. The
faceguard is provided with a flush elastomeric mounting bushing to
make the faceguard simpler to manufacture and easier and less
awkward to mount to a football helmet. The flush elastomeric
mounting bushing provides shock absorption between the faceguard
and the helmet at the mounting points. The flush feature of the
mounting bushing provides an additional safety benefit of
decreasing the likelihood that the mounting will be caught on a
player's uniform or cause any puncture or scrape to the skin of
another player. The flush feature also makes it difficult for an
opposing player to grip or hold the facemask of the wearer. The
faceguard is constructed of a single body of injection molded clear
or tinted plastic which can withstand high-impact in order to
sustain the abuse required of such a device in the game of
football.
Inventors: |
Wismann; Joseph B.;
(Louisville, KY) |
Family ID: |
43729006 |
Appl. No.: |
12/584713 |
Filed: |
September 11, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/424 ; 2/9 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B 3/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/424 ; 2/9 |
International
Class: |
A42B 1/08 20060101
A42B001/08; A41D 13/00 20060101 A41D013/00 |
Claims
1. A helmet faceguard protection system comprising: a helmet; a
faceguard protection device attached to said helmet comprising an
upper viewing area surrounded by an upper integral frame section
defining ventilation apertures located outside the viewing area, a
lower frame section extending downwards and outwards to cover a
user's nose, cheeks, mouth and chin, said frame section has formed
therein a number of apertures of sufficient size to enable a user
to speak, breathe and pass a drinking straw therethrough, said
apertures incapable of allowing finger sized objects passage
therethrough; said faceguard yielding an overall streamlined shape
which blends in with the shape of said helmet and a generally
streamlined interface between said faceguard and said helmet when
mounted onto said helmet without stray or protruding edges at any
joining parts of said faceguard or helmet and therefore preventing
the hooking or grabbing of opposing players garments or fingers;
and at least three mounting lugs, wherein are formed apertures,
said at least three lugs integrally attached to the periphery of
said faceguard for attaching said faceguard to said helmet.
2. A faceguard protection device for mounting onto a football
helmet comprising: an upper viewing area surrounded by an upper
integral frame section defining ventilation apertures located
outside the viewing area, a lower frame section extending downward
and outward to cover a user's nose, cheeks, mouth and chin, said
frame section having formed therein a number of apertures of
sufficient size to enable a user to speak, breathe and pass a
drinking straw therethrough, said apertures incapable of allowing
finger sized objects passage therethrough; said faceguard yielding
an overall streamlined shape which blends in with the shape of said
helmet and a generally streamlined interface between said faceguard
and said helmet when mounted onto said helmet without stray or
protruding edges at any joining parts of said faceguard or helmet
and therefore preventing the hooking or grabbing of opposing
players garments or fingers; and at least three mounting lugs,
wherein are formed apertures, said at least three lugs being
integral with the periphery of said faceguard for attaching said
faceguard to said helmet.
3. The faceguard protection device defined in claim 2 wherein said
faceguard device is composed of clear plastic.
4. The faceguard protection device defined in claim 2 wherein said
faceguard device is composed of tinted plastic.
5. The faceguard protection device defined in claim 2 wherein said
apertures within said lugs contain elastomeric bushings, wherein
are formed apertures for passing a fastener therethrough for
attaching said faceguard to said helmet, said bushings within said
lugs yielding a streamlined configuration and providing a shock
absorbing connection between said faceguard and said helmet.
6. The faceguard protection device defined in claim 2 further
comprising a metal rod frame molded within said periphery of said
faceguard, for strengthening said faceguard and said at least three
attachment lugs.
7. The faceguard protection device defined in claim 2 wherein said
upper viewing area and said lower frame section comprise separate
respective sections, namely a first section and a second section,
said first section having at least four bores formed in a lower
edge thereof for connecting said first section to said second
section, said second section having at least four bores formed in
an upper edge thereof for connecting said second section to said
first section; and at least four means for fastening inserted
within said at least four bores in each of said first and said
second sections fixedly attaching said first section to said second
section.
8. The faceguard protection device defined in claim 7 wherein said
first section is composed of tinted plastic.
9. The faceguard protection device defined in claim 7 wherein said
second section is composed of tinted plastic.
10. A faceguard protection device for mounting to a helmet
comprising: an upper viewing area surrounded by an upper integral
frame section defining ventilation apertures located outside the
viewing area, a lower frame section extending downward and outward
to cover a user's nose, cheeks, mouth, chin, and at least one and
one half inches below said user's chin, said frame section has
formed therein a number of apertures of sufficient size to enable a
user to speak, breathe and pass a drinking straw therethrough, said
apertures incapable of allowing finger sized objects passage
therethrough; said faceguard yielding an overall streamlined shape
which blends in with the shape of said helmet and a generally
streamlined interface between said faceguard and said helmet when
mounted onto said helmet without stray or protruding edges at any
joining parts of said faceguard or helmet and therefore preventing
the hooking or grabbing of opposing players garments or fingers;
and at least three mounting lugs, wherein are formed apertures,
said at least three lugs integrally attached to the periphery of
said faceguard for attaching said faceguard to said helmet.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of protective
faceguards and facemasks for use on protective helmets worn by
participants playing various sports such as football, rugby,
lacrosse, and hockey.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Various activities in industry, the military, and sports
require the use of a helmet with a faceguard. The faceguard must
protect against the anticipated hazards while providing for maximum
achievable vision, appropriate ventilation, and communication. A
wide variety of faceguards accommodate these needs by use of metal
rods welded together with spaces between the rods to allow for
visibility, ventilation, and communication. Others are constructed
of non-metallic materials which replace the metal rods. Finally,
some are constructed of durable, transparent material that has
strength, impact resistance, melting point, and other
characteristics that protect against the anticipated hazards.
[0003] A variety of fasteners are used to secure the various
faceguards to their respective helmets. These fastening devices
generally take the form of clasps and are separate from both the
faceguard and the helmet. Hardware, such as screws, is generally
used to secure the fastening device to the helmet while the
fastening device clasps the faceguard. The fastening devices are
durable. Certain varieties absorb at least some of the impact from
the faceguard when it is struck, which reduces the impact
transferred to the helmet and then to the wearer's head.
[0004] Despite these efforts, injuries resulting from objects
penetrating a faceguard still occur. Faceguards or face guards are
prevalent in any contact sport, to include hockey, football,
lacrosse, etc., but there are none that effectively address the
safety concerns regarding grabbing of the face guard by another
player. This type of action by another player is illegal, yet
frighteningly common in the game of football. A simple examination
of game photos can prove that this type of action could be a cause
of serious head and neck injuries. The excerpt below is pulled from
the Annual Survey of Football Injury Research 1931-2005*:
[0005] Since 1960 most of the direct fatalities have been caused by
head and neck injuries, and in fact since 1990 all but three of the
direct deaths have been brain injuries. We must continue to reduce
head and neck injuries. (Mueller).
[0006] Another important effort has been and continues to be the
improvement of football protective equipment. It is imperative that
old and worn equipment be properly renovated or discarded and
continued emphasis be placed on developing the best equipment
possible. Manufacturers, coaches, trainers, and physicians should
continue their joint and individual efforts toward this end.
(Mueller)
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0007] "Impact Resistant Face Shield" (U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,705) by
Jarvis' teaches a face shield which covers approximately from the
nose upward and therefore does not protect the mouth, chin or lower
jaws. If Jarvis were to extend his faceguard down to protect these
areas of the face, breathing would cause fogging, communication
would be impaired, and the wearer would have difficulty drinking
without removing the faceguard. Jarvis is concerned primarily with
optical lenses and view clarity of a faceguard whereas the instant
invention is emphasizes the safety aspects associated with making
it difficult for an opposing player to grip or hold the faceguard
of the wearer due to the sizing and positioning of the openings in
the grid and flush fit of the guard to the helmet for protection of
the wearer's face and neck. Attachment means for Jarvis' face
shield stick out in such a way as to become snagged on the clothing
and equipment of other players.
[0008] There have been, however, inventions in the past that have
attempted to solve this safety problem, but have stopped short of
providing the full protection required to make the intended
additional safety a reality. For example, in U.S. Pat. No.
4,999,856 for "Facemask Protection Device" by DuVall, the inventor
addresses the safety concern of a player's hand penetrating through
an existing metal rod facemask assembly with a contoured internal
plastic cover. However, DuVall fails to address the fact that
grabbing can, in fact, still occur to the left and right of the
wearer's upper face opening and that the penetration that is
allowed by the mask (as shown in FIG. 3) may still be enough to
cause injury to the wearer.
[0009] Neither of the above patents provides means for connecting
the faceguard to a helmet which are free from protruding edges or
corners which will catch on clothing, e.g., or possibly injure
others in contact with the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention provides an injection molded one piece
faceguard with a clear viewing surrounded by a frame area reaching
down over the mouth and chin. The area covering the mouth is
provided with slots or otherwise shaped apertures which are too
small for finger penetration but allow a drinking straw to pass
through and provide for breathing without fogging of the viewing
area and for easy communication with others. The faceguard is
shaped so that when it is mounted onto a standard football helmet,
the edges are tapered and/or contoured to blend in with the general
shape of the helmet so that the resulting interface is generally
smooth with minimal irregularities or protruding edges or points.
Even the fasteners are attached in such a way as to minimize
irregularities or protruding edges. It is expected that the
faceguard will be attached in a fixed manner such that it will not
easily detach or pivot during use. The overall shape of the
faceguard is somewhat streamlined to blend in with the smooth
streamlined nature of a football helmet.
[0011] Elastomeric bushings are provided on the periphery of the
faceguard for mounting to a helmet. When the faceguard is attached
to the helmet with these bushings, there are no edges or parts
protruding out from the resulting assembly.
[0012] The present invention teaches a faceguard protection device
for mounting to a football helmet comprising an upper viewing area
surrounded by an integral frame section which extends downwards and
outwards to cover a user's nose, cheeks, mouth and chin, and has
formed therein a number of apertures of sufficient size to enable a
user to speak, breathe and pass a drinking straw therethrough. The
apertures are incapable of allowing finger sized objects passage
therethrough and the faceguard is shaped to yield a generally
streamlined interface between the faceguard and the helmet when it
is mounted onto the helmet, without stray or protruding edges at
any joining parts of the faceguard or helmet and therefore
preventing the hooking or grabbing of opposing players garments or
fingers and preventing opposing players from gripping the wearer's
helmet by the facemask which can result in injuries to the head and
neck region of the wearer. The faceguard also has at least three
mounting lugs, wherein are formed apertures, the at least three
lugs are integrally attached to the periphery of the faceguard for
attaching the faceguard to the helmet.
[0013] It is an objective of this invention is to provide a
faceguard.
[0014] It is also an objective of this invention to provide a
faceguard which will reduce the ability of an opponents hand or
other object to penetrate the faceguard.
[0015] It is also an objective of this invention to provide a
faceguard which will reduce the capability of the faceguard being
grabbed by an outside agent, such as an opposing player, thus
reducing the opportunity for injury to the wearer's head, neck, and
spine by preventing another player from grabbing the faceguard and
using it to twist the wearer's head, or injury to an opposing
player's fingers, wrist or hand by not allowing said opposing
player's fingers or hand to penetrate into the interior of the
faceguard or to grab it.
[0016] It is also an objective of this invention to provide a
faceguard which will reduce the opportunity for injury to the
wearer's nose, mouth, and chin by preventing the penetration of the
faceguard by an opposing player's fingers or hand.
[0017] It is also an objective of this invention to provide a
faceguard which will reduce the opportunity for injury to the
wearer's head, neck, and spine by incorporating elastomeric flush
bushing mounting points into the faceguard allowing it to be
secured directly to the helmet with reduced use of clasps and thus
providing a shock absorbing characteristic to the mount.
[0018] It is also an objective of this invention to provide a
faceguard which will provide improved visibility for the
wearer.
[0019] It is also an objective of this invention to provide a
faceguard which will provide a faceguard which is easier to
manufacture as compared to a welded rod face guard.
[0020] It is also an objective of this invention to provide a
faceguard which will be easier to install than faceguards attaching
to the helmet by clasps and hardware.
[0021] It is also an objective of this invention to provide a
faceguard which will be lighter than faceguards constructed of
welded metal.
[0022] It is also an objective of this invention to provide a
faceguard which will maintain a clear and clean appearance with
reduced maintenance effort compared to existing designs.
[0023] It is also an objective of this invention to provide a
faceguard which can be tinted, giving better vision when looking
into the sun or bright lights.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] A better understanding of the present invention will be had
upon reference to the following description in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts
throughout the views wherein:
[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a football helmet with the
faceguard of the present invention installed.
[0026] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the flush elastomeric
mounting bushing used to mount the faceguard to a football
helmet.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a football helmet with the
faceguard of the present invention installed including a wire frame
molded within the periphery of the faceguard to add strength.
[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a football helmet with a two
piece faceguard assembled together and onto the helmet.
[0029] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a football helmet with a
faceguard which extends below the chin to protect more of the
player
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided
a faceguard to be mounted onto a helmet such as a standard football
helmet which prevents penetration of opponents fingers, etc. into
the face area and reduces the possibility of an opponent grabbing
the faceguard and twisting or using it as a tool to throw the user
to the ground.
[0031] The present invention achieves its intention as a safety
device with the following components as referenced in the drawings:
A molded main viewing window 18 and lower face protection section
19 make up the two main sections of the faceguard 8. Molded in left
and right mounting arms 22 and mounting tabs 12R and 12L are
provided with flush elastomeric mounting bushings 10 through which
screws 11 are passed and threaded into threaded insert 15 to attach
the faceguard 8 to the helmet 14. There exists a bridge 24 that is
a molded feature to connect and strengthen the mounting tabs 12R
and 12L with the main viewing window 18 of the faceguard 8. A flush
elastomeric mounting bushing 10 comprised of a flexible urethane or
other such plastic material allows the faceguard to be mounted and
absorb shock between it and the football helmet 14. Openings 16 in
the clear or tinted main viewing window 18 allow for ventilation of
the players head and upper face while being small enough to prevent
another player's finger from penetrating the exterior surface of
the main viewing window 18. Openings 20 allow for ventilation of
the player's breath, escape of audible sounds from the player, and
allow the player to intake water without removing the faceguard 8
or helmet 14 while being small enough to prevent another player's
finger from penetrating the exterior surface of the lower face
protection section 19. Openings 21 in the lower face protection
section 19 allow for ventilation of the players breath and body
heat while being small enough to prevent another player's finger
from penetrating. As shown in one preferred embodiment in FIG. 1,
the openings comprise a plurality of trapezoidal shaped openings
forming a grid in the center of the faceguard or mask covering the
mouth and a plurality of slits disposed on each side of the center
grid. Moreover, the cross members forming the grid can be formed
having a rounded or tapered edge further decreasing the ability of
an opposing player to grip the lower portion of the mask .
[0032] Another embodiment of the present invention contains the
addition of a metal rod frame 26 which adds strength to the
faceguard. The plastic faceguard may be molded around the metal
frame 26 or the frame 26 may be attached in other ways such as
screws, glue or the like.
[0033] Shown in FIG. 4, another embodiment comprises a faceguard 8
which has the upper section viewing window 18 and lower face
protection section 19 molded as separate components.
[0034] The lower edge of the viewing window 18 has an outer lip 38
wherein bores are contained to allow fasteners such as screws 34 to
pass. The upper edge of lower section 19 has a lip 36 wherein bores
are contained wherein screws 34 can be threaded. Other means for
fastening include rivets, snaps or the like. In addition, upper
section 18 contains attachment lugs 32R and 32L (32L is not shown).
This embodiment enables a user to select differing combinations of
viewing windows 18 and lower face protection sections 19, either of
which can be tinted with various colors.
[0035] FIG. 5 shows another embodiment comprising a lower face
protection section 19 which has been extended down to protect at
least one and one half inches below the chin area.
[0036] Other embodiments include the following:
[0037] A faceguard that meets the description above, yet uses
conventional facemask straps and features molded into the faceguard
to attach to the football helmet;
[0038] A faceguard that achieves ventilation through non-visible
openings in the external surface of the faceguard or uses a
"breathable" type material which requires no openings for
ventilation;
[0039] A faceguard which uses opaque rather than transparent or
tinted plastic or a combination of both to achieve the same safety
and functional goals;
[0040] A faceguard achieving the same safety and functional goals
with an aesthetically different design of ventilation openings;
[0041] The mounting arms and tabs attaching the faceguard to the
helmet could be shaped differently to mount to different helmet
mounting scenarios used by various helmet manufacturers; and
[0042] The exterior or interior surface of the faceguard could be
coated with any number of films or substrates to improve vision
characteristics, reduce glare, or change the color of the
faceguard.
[0043] The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for
clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be
understood therefrom, for modification will become obvious to those
skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and may be made
upon departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the
appended claims. Accordingly, this invention is not intended to be
limited by the specific exemplification presented herein above.
Rather, what is intended to be covered is within the spirit and
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *