U.S. patent number 3,897,597 [Application Number 05/376,453] was granted by the patent office on 1975-08-05 for face and head protector.
Invention is credited to Dale R. Kasper.
United States Patent |
3,897,597 |
Kasper |
August 5, 1975 |
Face and head protector
Abstract
A protective apparatus particularly adapted to be worn by
persons engaging in physical activities such as ice hockey which
present a risk of injury to the head and face, having a helmet
portion generally covering the top, sides and back of the head of
the wearer, and a transparent face protector portion formed of a
solid, non-breakable sheet of material generally encircling the
face and side regions of the wearer's head and fixedly attached to
the helmet portion by a plurality of holding means disposed in its
opposite sides, to form an integral face and head protector. A face
protector portion formed as above and attached by a plurality of
holding means disposed in its opposite sides to the opposite side
sections of a conventional helmet having top, back, forehead and
side protective sections. A face protector portion having
ventilating means to allow continuous circulation of air. A face
protector portion having mouth and chin guard means disposed near
its bottom edge. A helmet portion having air circulation means
aligned with longitudinally disposed padding means to reduce heat
build-up about the wearer's head.
Inventors: |
Kasper; Dale R. (Medinah,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
26946627 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/376,453 |
Filed: |
July 5, 1973 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
258418 |
May 31, 1972 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/9; 2/10 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B
3/24 (20130101); A42B 3/28 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A42B
3/28 (20060101); A42B 3/04 (20060101); A42B
3/18 (20060101); A42B 3/24 (20060101); A41D
013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;2/9,3R,6,8,173,14N,14W,14K |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Schroeder; Werner H.
Assistant Examiner: Nerbun; Peter
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Wagner; Robert E. Browne; Robert
E.
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No.
258,418, filed May 31, 1972 (now abandoned) by Dale R. Kasper,
entitled "FACE AND HEAD PROTECTOR" which is entirely incorporated
herein by reference thereto.
Claims
I claim:
1. In a protective apparatus particularly adapted to be worn by
persons engaging in activities, such as hockey, presenting dangers
of physical injury to the head and face to protect these areas,
including a helmet portion, said helmet portion having a top
protective section, generally covering the top of the wearer's
head, a rear protective section, generally covering the back of the
wearer's head, and side protective sections, generally covering the
sides of the wearer's head, the improvement including a transparent
face protector portion forming an integral part of said protective
apparatus and formed of a single sheet of non-breakable material in
a generally U-shaped configuration having a generally continuous
optically clear front protective area generally covering the face
of the wearer and side protective areas disposed on opposite sides
of the wearer's head to generally cover the opposite sides of the
wearer's head, said front protective area extending downwardly from
a forward edge of said helmet portion to generally cover the face,
including at least the eyes and nose of the wearer, said face
protector portion being fixedly attached to said helmet portion by
a plurality of holding means disposed in the opposite side
protective areas of said face protector portion in various
selective positions relative to said helmet portion, as desired,
said side protective areas encircling the cheeks and generally
covering the side regions of the wearer's head to protect these
regions, said face protector portion having ventilating means, to
allow air to circulate between said face protective portion and the
face of the wearer and prevent fogging and heat buildup, and strap
means attached to said protective apparatus, said strap means being
adjustable to bring said helmet portion of said protective
apparatus in close fit relationship with the top and back with the
head of the wearer and to position said face protector portion
comfortably over the face and cheeks of the wearer to prevent
injury thereto.
2. The protective apparatus of claim 1 wherein said helmet portion
includes downwardly extending sections disposed on opposite sides
of said top section thereof and forwardly extending sections
disposed on opposite sides of said rear section thereof, each of
said downwardly extending and forwardly extending sections having a
plurality of openings formed therein, each of said openings formed
to receive said holding means therethrough to allow the face
protector portion of said protective apparatus to be located and
mounted as desired with respect to said helmet portion.
3. The protective apparatus of claim 1 wherein said side protective
sections of said helmet portion and said side protective areas of
said face protective portion have a plurality of generally
corresponding openings formed in each to allow said face protector
portion to be positioned relative to said helmet portion according
to the size of the wearer's head by insertion of said holding means
through selected ones of said corresponding openings in said face
protector portion and said helmet portion to mount said face
protector portion on said helmet portion as desired.
4. The protective apparatus of claim 1 wherein said face protector
portion has a plurality of ventilating means formed therein to
allow free circulation of air between said face protector portion
and the face and head of the wearer and thereby prevent fogging of
the face protector portion, reduce heat buildup, and provide proper
air supply to the wearer.
5. The protective apparatus of claim 4 wherein said ventilating
means includes openings formed in an inwardly extending lip
disposed along the upper front edge of said face protector
portion.
6. The protective apparatus of claim 4 wherein said ventilating
means include a series of ribs integrally formed with said face
protector portion and longitudinally disposed on the inside surface
thereof to be brought into contact with said helmet portion, said
ribs forming passageways between said face protector portion and
said helmet portion to allow air to flow therebetween.
7. The protective apparatus of claim 1 wherein said face protector
portion is maintained in comfortable, spaced relationship from the
face and cheeks of the wearer by a plurality of spacer means
integrally formed on said helmet portion and disposed between an
upper portion of said face protector portion and said helmet
portion, said spacer means being spaced about the front of said
helmet portion such that air may freely flow between said face
protector portion and said helmet portion and circulate between
said face protector portion and the face and head of the wearer to
eliminate fogging and reduce heat buildup.
8. The protective apparatus of claim 1 including a chin and mouth
guard means formed of high-impact, non-breakable material which is
joined to said face protector portion near a lower edge thereof and
extends downwardly and inwardly from said lower edge toward the
chin of the wearer, said chin and mouth guard means having
removable padding means mounted thereon and along a lower edge
thereof to contact the chin of said wearer to absorb the impact of
forces directed toward the chin and mouth, said chin and mouth
guard encircling and protecting the mouth and chin of the wearer.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a head and face protective apparatus
particularly adapted to be worn in activities presenting a
substantial risk of injury to these regions of the wearer's
body.
Various types of protective headgear have been designed for use in
activities such as contact sports and industrial work which present
inherent physical dangers, particularly to the face of persons
engaged in these activities. Among these prior apparatus are nose
and mouth guards usually attached to a conventional hockey-type
helmet generally covering the top, back, forehead and upper side
regions of the wearer's head. Such mouth guards have been formed of
high-impact opaque plastics, and are usually held immediately
adjacent to the wearer's face by the helmet or by a harness
arrangement.
Another type of headgear resembles the familiar baseball catcher's
mask and features a flush-fitting contour padded portion supporting
a grid of heavy gauge wire or high-impact plastic bars forming a
screen arrangement across the vunerable eye and nose portion of the
face.
Still another type of protector is the flush-fitting contour
"goalies" mask of high-impact opaque plastic which completely
covers the face except for eye, nose and mouth slits and is
attached to the head by a harness of buckles and belts.
Finally, there have been attempts to reduce the vision problems of
the above devices by forming the mask portion of a clear or
transparent plastic. Such attempts are shown by U.S. Pat. No.
3,189,918 to W. R. Hiatt et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 2,965,902 to D.
G. Louch. Hiatt teaches a transparent visor designed to protect
against wind, rain and sun, which is snap fastened to the forehead
portion of a motor-cycle type helmet and is pivotal upwardly with
respect thereto. Louch teaches an adjustable protective headgear
including a transparent shield which is adjusted and held in
position by a series of straps and braces fitted tightly over the
head, a chin rest placed immediately adjacent the chin of the
wearer and a neck strap extending around the neck. A small nose and
mouth opening is provided to enable the wearer to breathe
properly.
Despite their variety, all of the presently available protectors
have one or more serious disadvantages which have severely limited
their effectiveness, commercial success and public acceptance.
A major disadvantage with high-impact opaque plastic contour masks
is that they seriously obstruct vision in fast moving sports such
as hockey where good vision is an absolute requirement. A further
disadvantage is that both the opaque plastic, clear plastic and
grid-type face protectors are often attached to the wearer's head
by straps, braces and buckles as shown in Louch. Such arrangements
tend to become tangled and twisted when taken off preventing quick
and easy manipulation so that the mask may be donned in a hurry.
These harness arrangements also tend to slip out of position and
stretch with wear and contact, thereby failing to maintain the mask
in proper protective position and obstructing vision.
Not only does Louch require a complex series of straps and braces
to hold it in position, but the sides and rear of the head are not
adequately protected from impact. Moreover, the use of only a
single holding means on each side of the head does not provide
sufficiently rigid support to maintain the mask in a protective
position under severe impact.
Another major disadvantage, particularly with the type of
protectors shown by Hiatt and Louch and the contour masks, is the
discomfort which is attendant with wearing them. Such masks become
hot and extremely uncomfortable due to the great exertion usually
required of the wearer. Breathing may become difficult and fogging
normally occurs, reducing visibility. As can be seen, Louch must
provide a passageway for proper breathing, but neither Louch or
Hiatt provides for free circulation of air through the mask about
the eye, nose and mouth regions.
Leading manufacturers of protective masks have found that, in their
experience, the user generally discards the mask after a short time
because of the heat build-up, the fogging causing reduced vision
and the embarrassing, conspicuous appearance of the mask. It has
also been found, unfortunately, that hockey players who had face
protectors attached to conventional hockey helmets have been able
to easily remove and discard the mask and still use the helmet.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a face and head protective apparatus
particularly adapted for use in activities, such as ice hockey,
which present a risk of injury to the face and head of the
participant and which may be worn without discomfort and without
obstructing or distorting vision. This face and head protective
apparatus overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by a solid
transparent face protector portion formed of a sheet of
non-breakable material, having a front protective area and side
protective areas disposed on opposite sides of the wearer's head,
which is fixedly attached by a plurality of holding means disposed
in its opposite side protective areas to a helmet portion having a
top protective section generally covering the top of the wearer's
head, side protective sections covering desired areas of the sides
of the wearer's head, and a rear protective section generally
covering the back of the wearer's head. The face protector portion
and the helmet protector portion are designed to integrally form
the head and face protective apparatus of this invention. An
adjustable chin strap is joined to the face protector portion to be
placed under the chin of the wearer and adjusted to bring the
helmet portion in close fit with the wearer's head.
When this protective apparatus is closely fitted to the wearer's
head, the front and side protective areas of the face protector
portion extend downwardly from a point slightly below the edge of
the top of the helmet to a point below the nose of the wearer
thereby protecting the eyes, nose and cheekbones from possible
injury. In a modified embodiment, particularly suited for use by
hockey goalies, a mouth and chin guard extends downwardly and
inwardly from the face protector portion to protect these areas of
the face from upward blows.
In other modified forms of the invention, the face protector
portion is fixedly attached at its opposite sides to the side
protecting section or side band of a conventional hockey helmet by
a plurality of holding means. In this embodiment, areas of the face
protector and the forehead and side headbands of the hockey helmet
will overlap and the chin strap will be attached to the helmet.
In all embodiments, the face protector portion is comfortably
spaced a short distance from the eyes, nose and sides of the
wearer's head to allow complete comfort in wearing the apparatus.
The face protector portion may have a number of ventilation
openings formed in it to provide for free circulation of air to
prevent heat build-up and fogging or may achieve such ventilation
by spacer ribs formed integrally with the face protector or the
helmet.
The structure of the present invention also provides several other
advantages over the prior art. For example, the transparent
material used in this mask, unlike several prior protectors, is
optically clear and allows free and unobstructed vision by the
wearer and, therefore, does not inhibit or reduce the quality of
his play. The transparent face protector portion is also securely
fixed to the helmet portion by more than one holding means at
opposite sides of the helmet, providing great stability, constant
protection and proper adjustment despite severe impacts.
This invention also eliminates the complex series of straps often
used to attach and position a protector or headgear thereby
reducing possible misadjustment or loss of the mask during play and
eliminating tangling.
Finally, this invention is designed so that either with the face
protector formed integrally with the helmet portion or attached to
an existing helmet the protective apparatus is not conspicuous and
embarrassing. This encourages hockey players, especially young
persons, to continue wearing such an apparatus.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a face
and head protective apparatus providing maximum protection and
safety while allowing great comfort and convenience to the
wearer.
It is another object of this invention to provide an integrally
formed face and head protective apparatus offering protection to
face and head of the wearer.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a face and head
protective apparatus which does not distort or obstruct the vision
of the wearer.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a face and head
protective apparatus having ventilating means to permit free
circulation of air and prevent heat build-up and fogging.
It is one more object of this invention to provide a face and head
protective apparatus which may be securely and quickly fitted to
the head of the wearer in a protective position without the
necessity of constant adjustment.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a face
protector which may be rigidly attached to a conventional hockey or
athletic helmet to comfortably encircle and protect the face and
cheek areas from injury.
These and other important objects of the invention will become
apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with
the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the face and head protective
apparatus of this invention in which the helmet and face protector
portions form an integral unit;
FIG. 2 is a slightly enlarged front elevational view of the face
and head protective apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the face and head protective
apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view showing a modification of the
face and head protective apparatus of FIG. 1 in which the face
protector portion is attached to a conventional hockey helmet;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of the face protector
portion of the face and head protective apparatus of the present
invention;
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the face protector portion of
the face and head protective apparatus shown in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of another modified form of the face
protector portion of the face and head protective apparatus of the
present invention;
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the face protector portion of
the face and head protective apparatus shown in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a modified version of the face and
head protective apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the face and head protective
apparatus shown in FIG. 9; and,
FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of the face and head protective
apparatus shown in FIG. 8 having a portion cutaway to show the
interior.
Referring now to the drawings, and, more particularly to FIG. 1,
the face and head protective apparatus of this invention is shown
generally at 10. In this embodiment, a face protector portion 26 is
integrally formed with the helmet portion 12 and firmly attached
thereto in such a manner that the face protector portion 26 cannot
be removed and discarded without destroying the usefulness of the
helmet portion 12.
As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the integrally formed protector 10 has a
helmet portion 12, which includes a top section 14, and a rear
section 16. The top section 14 generally covers the top of the head
of the wearer and the rear section 16 generally covers the back of
the wearer's head. Helmet portion 12 also includes downwardly
extending side sections 18 disposed on opposite sides of the top 14
of the helmet 12 and forwardly extending side sections 20 disposed
on opposite sides of the rear section 16 of the helmet portion 12.
Both the downwardly extending and forwardly extending side sections
18 and 20, have a number of openings formed in them, as shown in
FIG. 3, for receiving holding means such as 32 for attaching the
face protector portion 26 to the helmet portion 12, as will be
explained below.
The face protector portion 26 is preferably formed of a single
sheet of transparent, non-breakable material which is resistant to
high impact and extreme temperatures and which can be bent or
molded to generally encircle the face of the wearer when it is
attached to the helmet portion 12. In such a configuration, the
face protector portion 26 defines a front protective area 28, which
generally covers the face of the wearer, and opposite side
protective areas 30, which generally cover the cheek bones and side
regions of the wearer's head. While the drawings show a portion of
the side protective areas 30 cut out around the ears of the wearer
to aid hearing, the ears may remain comfortably covered if maximum
protection is desired.
In the embodiment of the face and head protective apparatus 10
shown in FIGS. 1-3, the front protective area 28 of the face
protector portion 26 includes a forehead region 36 which generally
covers the area of the wearer's head above and including the
forehead from a point slightly below the forward or leading edge of
the top section 14 of helmet portion 12. This forehead region 36 is
underlaid by a band of foam padding 38 as shown in dotted lines in
FIG. 3, which extends along the top edge or boundary of the entire
face protector portion 26 to include the side protective areas 30.
This foam padding 38 provides a closer fit, additional comfort and
added shock absorbancy.
The front protective area 28 of the helmet portion 26 extends from
the upper forehead region 36 to a point below the nose of the
wearer. It is preferred that the front protective area 28 extend
downwardly at a forwardly extending angle as shown in FIG. 3. This
slight angle provides a comfortable space between the face of the
wearer and the inside surface of the face protector portion 26
while still maintaining maximum protection.
As can be seen from FIGS. 1-3, the side protective areas 30
completely protect the side regions of the wearer's head, yet allow
air space between the head and their inside surfaces to reduce heat
build-up and increase comfort. It is clear that the face protector
portion 26 could be extended downwardly to cover the mouth or chin
of the wearer to also protect these areas.
The face protector portion 26 is attached to the helmet portion 12
by holding means 32 such as bolts or screws. These holding means 32
are disposed through forward and rearward portions of each side
protective area 30, received into a particular opening 22 in each
of sections 18 and 20 and secured thereto so that face protector
portion 26 is held by forward and rearward holding means 32 on each
side. The size of the protective apparatus 10 can be varied by
inserting the holding means 32 into different openings 22 disposed
in various columns and/or rows of the openings 22 shown in FIG. 3
to move face protector portion 26 relative to helmet portion 12.
This variability of attachment allows the face and head protective
apparatus 10 to be sized in the same way as conventional
helmets.
The face and head protective apparatus preferably has ventilating
means formed near the top of the face portion 26 to allow air
circulation between the face portion 26 and the wearer's face. Such
ventilating means may take many forms, as shown in the drawings.
For example, a series of ventilating openings 34 may be formed in
the front protective area 28 of face portion 26, as shown in FIGS.
1-3. These openings may be located near the forehead region of the
helmet 36 to permit free circulation of air across the face of the
wearer to prevent heat build-up and eliminate fogging of the face
portion 26. FIGS. 5-8 illustrate alternative forms of ventilating
means integrally formed in face protector portion 26. In FIG. 5, a
lip 60 is formed along the top edge of face portion 26 and extends
inwardly toward the front of helmet 14. A number of ventilating
openings 62, similar to those above, are formed in this lip which
also aids in maintaining a proper spaced relationship between face
protector portion 26 and the face of the wearer. In FIGS. 6-8, a
series of downwardly extending or longitudinal ribs 64 are formed
about the interior surface of face protector portion 26. Such ribs
64 are of sufficient height to space face protector portion 26 away
from the front of helmet 14 thereby forming a number of ventilating
passageways 66 between them for air circulation and maintaining
face protector portion 26 spaced from the face of the wearer.
Suitable ventilating means may also be formed integrally with the
helmet portion as shown in FIGS. 9-11 where longitudinal spacers 76
are formed about the front of helmet 72 to provide ventilating
passageways 78 between them.
While optimum dimensions of such ventilating openings or
passageways will, of course, vary with the age, size, exertion and
other physical characteristics of the wearer, and the ambient
temperature and humidity, it has been found that openings such as
34 of approximately 3/8 by 5/8 inch serve quite well in most cases
to eliminate fogging and reduce heat.
It can be appreciated from the front view shown in FIG. 2 that the
front protective area 28 of the face protector portion 26 offers an
optically clear, unobstructed and undistorted view to the wearer
which allows him to participate in an activity without impeding his
vision or creating a psychological handicap. The front protective
area 28 of the face protector portion 26 is also extremely broad,
presenting a large, continuous, relatively flat viewing surface
which will not obstruct or distort the vision of the wearer through
it.
In the embodiment of this invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, the entire
head and face protective apparatus 10 is maintained on the wearer's
head by a chin strap means 39, which is adjustable to bring the top
14 and rear 16 of helmet portion 12 into close-fit engagement with
the top and back of the wearer's head. This close fit will also
position the face protector portion 26 in a correct attitude with
respect to the face and side of the head of the wearer to provide
maximum protection. The strap means 39 is fixedly attached by
holding means or bolts 37 to the side protective areas 30 of the
face protector portion 26.
FIG. 4 illustrates generally at 40 a modified version of the head
and face protector of this invention using a transparent face
protective shield 50 which is essentially the same as the face
protector portion 26 shown in FIGS. 1-3, but is attached to a
conventional helmet, such as an ice hockey helmet 41. This
conventional helmet 41 also has a top section 14 and a rear section
16 to protect the top and back regions of the wearer's head,
respectively. Helmet 41, however, usually includes a forehead band
or section 42, extending around the sides of the wearer's head to
form a side section or protective band 44, which joins with the
rear 16 of the helmet 41 to form a post ear covering area 46. Since
the size of helmet 41 has already been selected, the face
protective shield 50 is simply attached, on opposite sides, by
holding means 32 to the side sections 44 and ear covering areas 46
of the helmet so that it will be properly positioned with respect
to the face of the wearer.
The face shield 50 should be positioned with respect to the helmet
41 so that a slight distance is maintained between the outside
surface of the forehead section 42 of the helmet and the inside
surface of the face shield 50. This positioning allows the openings
34 to provide free circulation of air around the face of the
wearer. The strap means 39 in this embodiment is attached directly
to the helmet 41, as shown in dotted lines. The face shield 50
should be attached to the helmet 12 by holding means 32 which can
only be removed with proper tools so that the wearer, particularly
the young hockey player, will not be able to readily remove and
discard the face portion 26.
In FIGS. 9-11, a modified version of the face and head protective
apparatus of this invention is shown which is particularly adapted
for use in protecting the chin and mouth area of the hockey player
and would be suitable for use by goalies or individuals having
extensive facial injuries which must be protected. This embodiment,
like that shown in FIGS. 1-3 is designed so that the helmet portion
72 and face protector portion 74 are formed as an integral unit or
face protective apparatus. In this embodiment, the helmet 72
contains several novel features which protect various areas of the
wearer's head from injury, but which allow continuous circulation
of air about the face and head of the wearer to reduce heat
build-up and eliminate fogging. As in the above-described
embodiments, the helmet portion 72 includes a top 80, a rear
section 81 and side protective sections 82, generally covering the
top, rear and sides of the wearer's head, respectively. It might be
noted, however, that in this version of the helmet, the coverage of
these areas is more extensive because it is designed to more fully
protect the wearer from any possible injury or reinjury. The rear
of the helmet 81 is extended downwardly and slightly outwardly over
the neck of the wearer toward the top of the spine to more fully
protect this area from injury. This neck protecting section 84
preferably has padding lining its interior to aid in absorbing any
impacts exerted on its outside surface.
The front section of the helmet 72 has a series of ribs or spacers
76 having the appearance of knuckles which are formed in a
generally longitudinal direction and spaced about its front
surface. These knuckles or spacers 76 not only act to space the
face protector portion 74 from the face of the wearer and hold it
in proper relationship thereto, but also allow the passage of air
through passageways 78 which they form, to eliminate fogging and
reduce heat build-up in the facial region.
Helmet 72 also has a unique air circulation means constructed
generally over its top and side areas and cooperating with a
padding and spacing means in its interior which acts to reduce heat
build-up over the entire head region of the wearer. While it is
known to line helmets with padding to provide close fit and greater
comfort, the present invention provides a series of parallel
padding strips which extend longitudinally front to back over the
head of the wearer and are fastened by gluing or other means to the
interior surface of the helmet whereby they come into contact with
the wearer's head. These strips 86, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11,
form air channels 88 between them. Openings 90 are then cut into
the top and side surfaces of the helmet in positions corresponding
to these air channels 88. In order to force air into these openings
and through the channels, however, an upwardly extending hood or
louver 92 is formed integrally with the exterior of the helmet when
it is molded, facing forward so that when the wearer moves forward,
air will be forced by the louver 92 through the opening 90 into the
air channels 88 where it will be directed over and around the
wearer's head to reduce heat build-up in a simple, yet extremely
efficient manner.
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-11 also has a unique mouth and chin
guard 94 to assure protection of the mouth and chin regions of the
wearer. This mouth and chin guard 94 may be formed integrally with
face protector portion 74, or separately as a grill or mesh-type
construction as shown in FIGS. 9-11 and attached by fastening means
96 such as bolts or adhesives along the lower edge of face
protector portion 74. This mouth and chin guard 94 extends inwardly
and downwardly toward the chin of the wearer. When the helmet is
correctly positioned, the lower edge 95 of the mouth and chin guard
94 will rest on the chin of the wearer so that the face protective
apparatus will be held stable. This is accomplished, for wearers of
various head sizes and physical characteristics, by varying the
thickness of a padding insert 98, which is placed between the lower
interior edge of the mouth and chin guard 94 and the chin of the
wearer. Thus, it is possible to adjust the fit of the chin guard
properly. These padding inserts may be manufactured from foam type
reinforced padding similar to the padding in the helmet, and
attached to the interior surface of the chin guard means by
corresponding snaps positioned on the padding and the chin guard,
respectively, so that they snap together, or by sewing the padding
to the chin guard by looped sewing.
The protective apparatus shown in FIGS. 9-11 is brought into
close-fit engagement with the wearer's head by means of a
conventional chin strap 100 as previously described.
To further improve protection in this embodiment, the ears of the
wearer may be covered, as shown, except for openings to allow for
proper hearing.
Another slight difference between the embodiment shown in FIGS.
9-11 and those previously described is that the face protector
portion 74 is not continued backwardly and downwardly around the
ears of the wearer, since the helmet protective area is much more
extensive than those in the previous embodiments. In such a case,
the lower set of sizing openings 22, as shown in FIG. 3, may be
moved upwardly into a line generally corresponding to the upper set
of openings 22 as shown in FIG. 3 to reduce the area of the face
protector portion.
The helmet portion may be formed from any suitable plastic or
synthetic material which is impact and temperature resistant, such
as polyethylene or molded fiberglass. The helmet may be lined with
a foam reinforced padding, as described above, to provide close fit
and greater comfort.
The face protector portion or shield may be formed of a
polycarbonate or plastic material, such as that sold under the
trademark Lexan, which is resistant to high impact and extremes in
temperature, but may be formed or easily molded in one piece to
encircle the face and is transparent to allow clear, unobstructed
and undistorted vision through it.
The holding means could be any suitable means which will act to
fixedly attach the face protector portion to the helmet portion
despite stresses, such as bolts or adhesives, like epoxy
resins.
While this invention has been described in relation to several
possible embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled
in the art that the structural details are capable of wide
variation without departing from the principles of the
invention.
* * * * *