U.S. patent number RE34,699 [Application Number 08/012,645] was granted by the patent office on 1994-08-23 for protective headgear and detachable face protector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Itech Sport Products Inc.. Invention is credited to Roger Ball, Steve Copeland.
United States Patent |
RE34,699 |
Copeland , et al. |
August 23, 1994 |
Protective headgear and detachable face protector
Abstract
A protective sports headgear comprised of a helmet member shaped
to protect the top, rear, front and sides of a wearer's head. The
helmet member has a rigid outer shell with an inner protective
lining of shock absorbing material. A sizing harness is secured to
the helmet and disposed inwardly thereof. The harness has a height
adjusting band and a horizontal contour adjusting band. Adjustable
sizing members are secured to the helmet and the adjusting bands to
fit the bands on the head of a wearer to thereby space the head
from the protective lining in at least some inner areas of the
helmet member. The helmet is secured to the wearer's head by
conventional retention members.
Inventors: |
Copeland; Steve (Barrie,
CA), Ball; Roger (Toronto, CA) |
Assignee: |
Itech Sport Products Inc.
(Ville St-Laurent, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
24467911 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/012,645 |
Filed: |
February 3, 1993 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
616068 |
Nov 20, 1990 |
05093936 |
Mar 10, 1992 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
2/419; 2/424;
2/9; 2/410 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A42B
3/14 (20130101); A42B 3/145 (20130101); A42B
3/28 (20130101); A42B 3/20 (20130101); A42B
3/16 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A42B
3/20 (20060101); A42B 3/06 (20060101); A42B
3/12 (20060101); A42B 3/18 (20060101); A42B
3/14 (20060101); A42B 3/04 (20060101); A42B
3/28 (20060101); A42B 001/22 (); A42B 001/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;2/9,410,411,417,418,419,422,423,424,425,416 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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962001 |
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Feb 1975 |
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CA |
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33057 |
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Aug 1981 |
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EP |
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3300276 |
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Dec 1984 |
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DE |
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339469 |
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Oct 1942 |
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IT |
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280042 |
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1914 |
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GB |
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712161 |
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Sep 1931 |
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GB |
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512106 |
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Aug 1939 |
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GB |
|
1528647 |
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Oct 1978 |
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GB |
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Primary Examiner: Crowder; Clifford D.
Assistant Examiner: Neas; Michael A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier
& Neustadt
Claims
We claim:
1. A protective headgear comprising a helmet member shaped to
protect the top, rear, front and sides of a wearer's head; said
helmet member having .[.a rigid.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.outer shell
with an inner protective lining of shock absorbing material, a
sizing harness secured to said helmet and disposed inwardly
thereof, said harness having a .[.height adjusting band and a.].
horizontal .[.contour-adjusting.]. .Iadd.adjusting .Iaddend.band,
and adjustable sizing means secured to said helmet and said
adjusting .[.bands.]. .Iadd.band .Iaddend.to fit said .[.bands.].
.Iadd.band .Iaddend.on the head of a wearer and thereby spacing
said head from said protective lining in at least some inner areas
of said helmet member, said adjustable sizing means having
.[.two.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.adjustment .[.members.]. .Iadd.member
.Iaddend.secured to said outer shell and spaced from an inner
surface of said protective lining and accessible outwardly of said
shell, said sizing harness being a .[.one-piece.]. flexible .[.band
having a.]. head .[.contour.]. band .[.section constituting said
horizontal contour band.]., .[.and a transverse integral band
section constituting said height adjusting band,.]. and connecting
means secured to .[.each.]. .Iadd.a displaceable attachment portion
on said band .[.sections.]. and .[.a respective one of.]. said
.[.two.]. adjustment .[.members, each.]. .Iadd.member, another
portion of said band being immovably secured to said headgear,
.Iaddend.said adjustment member having an attachment element
securable to .[.a respective one of.]. said connecting means and an
elongated flexible member having thread engaging means at least
along a section thereof, and a thread engaging stationary
adjustment knob secured to said outer shell and in threaded
engagement with said elongated flexible member to pull said
flexible member therethrough and displace .[.its associated.].
.Iadd.said .Iaddend.band .[.section.]., said thread engaging
stationary adjustment knob being located in a trough-like housing
secured to said outer shell, said elongated flexible member
extending across opposed end walls of said housing with said
adjustment knob in threaded engagement therewith and retained
between said opposed side walls by said elongated flexible member,
and means to secure said helmet to a wearer's head.
2. A headgear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said adjustment knob is
a cylinder knob having an inner threaded bore and a plurality of
finger engaging ribs formed on an outer surface thereof and
extending parallel to said through bore for rotating said cylinder
knob about said elongated flexible member to cause said elongated
flexible member to be displaced axially through said cylinder.
3. A headgear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said attachment element
comprises at least one prong projecting adjacent an attachment end
of said elongated flexible member .[.each of at least one,.]. said
.Iadd.at least one .Iaddend.prong engaging with one of a plurality
of holes provided in a connector bridge secured adjacent a free end
of said band sections, said connector bridge being located in a
guide channel formed in said inner protective lining.
4. A headgear as claimed in claim 3 wherein a flat wing element is
formed integral with said attachment end of said elongated flexible
member and being captive between an inner face of said outer shell
and said protective lining and extending to each side of said guide
channel.
5. A headgear as claimed in claim 3 wherein .[.aid.]. .Iadd.said
.Iaddend.connector bridge is formed integral with said band
sections adjacent said free ends and having an elevated top wall in
which said plurality of holes are located.
6. A headgear as claimed in claim 4 wherein said band connector is
integrally molded from a plastics material.
7. A headgear as claimed in claim 2 wherein there are two of said
adjustment knobs .Iadd.provided in the form of cylinder knobs, two
of said trough-like housings, and two of said bands, one of said
bands being a horizontal adjusting band and the other of said bands
being a height adjusting band, said cylinder knobs .Iaddend.each
located in a respective one of said trough-like housings and
disposed on a respective side of said outer shell, said
.[.shells.]. .Iadd.cylinder knobs .Iaddend.being disposed such that
said cylinder knobs extend along different axes to indicate to
which of said bands it is connected.
8. A headgear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said .[.one-piece
flexible.]. band is further provided with a pair of chin strap
attachment arms having fastener locating holes adjacent free ends
thereof.
9. A headgear as claimed in claim 8 wherein there is further
provided band securing lugs formed integral with said band to
secure said band inside said inner protective lining.
10. A headgear as claimed in claim 8 wherein a plurality of vent
holes are provided in at least some sections of said band.
11. A headgear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said helmet member is
a sports helmet and wherein vent holes are provided in said helmet
member and extending through said outer shell and said protective
lining, said .[.height adjusting.]. band maintaining the head of a
wearer spaced from at least a top innere area of said protective
lining so that the wearer's head is ventilated by air flowing
through said helmet through said vent holes.
12. A headgear as claimed in claim 11 wherein said vent holes
extend along a central portion of said helmet from a frontal head
area to a rear head area.
13. A headgear as claimed in claim 12 wherein said vent holes are
of substantially rectangular configuration and disposed in spaced
apart pairs along said central portion, a front and rear pair of
vent holes being disposed transverse to said central portion, and
at least one intermediate pair of vent holes disposed axially with
said central portion.
14. A headgear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said helmet member has
a uniform outer surface, said protective lining being formed of
rigid foam material and extends beyond at least a forehead and neck
portion of said rigid outer shell, said helmet being a hockey
helmet.
15. A headgear as claimed in claim 14 wherein a protective shield
extending over a portion of said rigid foam material extends beyond
said forehead portion and immovably secured in position to protect
said foam material.
16. A headgear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said helmet member
defines an ear clearance area on each side thereof, and an ear
shield secured to said helmet and extending over said ear clearance
area and depending therefrom to cover a substantial portion of a
wearer's ear.
17. A headgear as claimed in claim 16 wherein said ear shield is a
molded shield protruding outwardly of the plane of said rigid outer
shell, and vent holes disposed in said ear shield.
18. A headgear as claimed in claim 17 wherein said ear shield is a
one-piece molded plastic shield defining a U-shaped member having
said ear shield in opposed free end regions thereof, and a
connecting band intermediate said ear shield, said connecting band
overlying a rear extension portion of said inner protective lining
in a rear portion of said helmet, and fastener means to secure said
shield to said helmet.
19. A headgear as claimed in claim 1 wherein a faceguard frame is
secured to said helmet member to protect a wearer's face, said
faceguard frame being of mesh-like construction and having a
sighting opening in at least an eye region of the face of a wearer,
and a visor of clear plastics material hingedly connected to said
faceguard frame by pivot connections so that said visor may be
hinged upwardly of said sighting opening, and lock means to
immovably secure said visor in its position of use across said
sighting opening.
20. A headgear as claimed in claim 19 wherein said visor is a
curved shaped visor having hinge connection means adjacent opposed
side end portions thereof for connection with a pivot post secured
on opposed sides of said faceguard frame in an upper rear region
thereof and lock connection means for connection with said lock
means.
21. A headgear as claimed in claim 20 wherein said hinge connection
means is comprised of an elongated slot formed in said visor, said
slot having a top vertical section to permit said visor to be
displaced vertically for nesting and removal from visor locating
ledges of said faceguard frame, and a rearwardly extending
depending section to permit said visor to hinge upwardly and
outwards.
22. A headgear as claimed in claim 20 wherein said lock means is
provided by a retention bore formed in said visor and aligned with
a retention head of a flexible retention finger secured to said
faceguard frame.
23. A headgear as claimed in claim 22 wherein said retention finger
is integrally molded with said faceguard frame, said retention head
having an outwardly protruding retention ledge forming a straight
undercut edge under said ledge, said retention bore having a
straight bottom sloping edge for mating retention with said
undercut edge.
24. A headgear as claimed in claim 21 wherein said visor locating
ledges includes an upper support ledge formed on top of a rib cage
section of said faceguard frame positioned below said sighting
opening.
25. A headgear as claimed in claim 24 wherein said visor is
provided with a locating flange in a top edge thereof to guidingly
position said visor relative to ribs provided in an upper forehead
section of said faceguard frame.
26. A headgear as claimed in claim 19 wherein said faceguard frame
is provided with said ribbed cage section below said sighting
opening, said ribbed cage section having a plurality of horizontal
and transverse ribs, said ribs being of substantially triangular
cross-section with their apex located exteriorly of said cage
section and aligned with a cone of vision of said sighting
opening.
27. A headgear as claimed in claim 19 wherein said faceguard frame
is provided with a forehead section disposed above said sighting
opening, said forehead section having a rib member rearwardly of a
top edge thereof, an integrally formed frame attachment hinge
member having a female connector section for receiving a male snap
member therein to secure said frame attachment member to said
helmet member, and a retention loop formed integral with said
female connector, said loop being positioned about said rib
member.
28. A headgear as claimed in claim 25 wherein said retention loop
has a flexible throat opening disposed rearwardly thereof and
extending about said female connector to lock said opening when
said male snap member is engaged with said female connector, said
faceguard frame being hingedly retained by said frame attachment
member.
29. A protective headgear comprising a helmet member shaped to
protect the top, rear, front and sides of a wearer's head; said
helmet member having a rigid outer shell with an inner protective
lining of shock absorbing material, a sizing harness secured to
said helmet and disposed inwardly thereof, said harness having a
height adjusting band .[.an.]. .Iadd.and .Iaddend.a horizontal
contour-adjusting band, and adjustable sizing means secured to said
helmet and said adjusting bands to fit said bands on the head of a
wearer and thereby spacing said head from said protective lining in
at least some inner areas of said helmet member, and means to
secure said helmet to a wearer's head, said inner protective lining
being attached to said outer shell by rib fasteners, constructed of
severable material, said rib fasteners having a ribbed stem member
and a stem engaging cup member; said stem member being an elongated
straight flat stem member having opposed transverse equidistantly
spaced attachment ribs on opposed flat side walls of said stem, a
flat transverse head at one end of said stem, and a tapered
locating free end; said cup member having a recessed bottom wall
with a straight rectangular slot for receiving said free end and a
portion of said ribbed stem member therethrough, said cup having
flange means extending outwardly from a top edge of a
circumferential side wall thereof.
30. A headgear as claimed in claim 29 wherein said flange means is
a circumferential flange entirely about said side wall.
31. A headgear as claimed in claim 30 wherein said stem engaging
cup member is a circular cup member, and a pair of retention
flexible shoulders, each shoulder disposed on opposed sides of said
rectangular slot and having an inward inclination to engage with
said stem between said ribs.
32. A headgear as claimed in claim 31 wherein said ribs have an
outwardly sloping side wall and a transverse retention rear wall,
said flexible shoulder being displaced outwardly by said sloping
side wall when said stem is pushed through said rectangular
slot.
33. A headgear as claimed in claim 32 wherein each of said flexible
shoulders have a flat engaging top edge, said top edge engaging
said transverse retention rear wall of said ribs to prevent said
stem from being pulled back from said rectangular slot of said stem
engaging cup.
34. A headgear as claimed in claim 33 wherein said side wall of
said cup member is longer than the distance from a leading edge of
a sloping side wall of a rib disposed on top of said pair of
retention shoulders so that said stem can be severed at said
leading edge so that said severed stem does not protrude beyond
said circumferential flange of said cup.
35. A headgear as claimed in claim 34 wherein said stem member and
cup member are molded from plastics material.
36. A headgear as claimed in claim 34 wherein said inner protective
lining is formed of a rigid protective material, said rib fasteners
securing said protective material to said outer shell, said cup
member being disposed in circular bores formed in an inner surface
of said protective material, said head of said stem resting on an
outer surface of said outer shell with said stem extending through
an aligned slot in said shell.
37. A faceguard frame for securement to a protective sports
headgear, a visor of clear plastics material hingedly connected to
said frame by pivot connections so that said visor may be hinged
upwardly of said frame, and resilient lock means in opposed side
sections of said frame to immovably secure said visor in its
position of use in front of a wearer's face.
38. A faceguard frame as claimed in claim 37 wherein said frame is
of a mesh-like construction and having a sighting opening in at
least an eye region of the face of a wearer, said visor being
hingeable upwardly of said sighting opening, said lock means
immovably secured said visor in its position of use across said
sighting opening.
39. A faceguard frame as claimed in claim 38 wherein said visor is
a curved shape visor having hinge connection means adjacent opposed
side end portions thereof for connection with a pivot post secured
on opposed sides of said faceguard frame in an upper rear region
thereof and lock connection means for connection with said lock
means.
40. A faceguard frame as claimed in claim 39 wherein said hinge
connection means is comprised of an elongated slot formed in said
visor, said slot having a top vertical section to permit said visor
to be displaced vertically for nesting and removal from visor
locating ledges of said faceguard frame, and a rearwardly extending
depending section to permit said visor to hinge upwardly and
outwards.
41. A faceguard frame as claimed in claim 39 wherein said lock mean
is provided by a retention bore formed in said visor and aligned
with a retention head of a flexible retention finger secured to
said faceguard frame.
42. A faceguard frame as claimed in claim 41 wherein said retention
finger is integrally molded with said faceguard frame, said
retention head having an outwardly protruding retention ledge
forming a straight undercut edge under said ledge, said retention
bore having a straight bottom sloping edge for mating retention
with said undercut edge.
43. A faceguard frame as claimed in claim 40 wherein said visor
locating ledges includes an upper support ledge formed on top of a
rib cage section of said faceguard frame positioned below said
sighting opening.
44. A faceguard frame as claimed in claim 43 wherein said visor is
provided with a locating flange in a top edge thereof to guidingly
position said visor relative to ribs provided in an upper forehead
section of said faceguard frame.
45. A faceguard frame as claimed in claim 39 wherein said faceguard
frame is provided with a ribbed cage section below said sighting
opening, said ribbed cage section having a plurality of horizontal
and transverse ribs, said ribs being of substantially triangular
cross-section with their apex located exteriorly of said cage
section and aligned with a cone of vision of said sighting opening.
.Iadd.
46. A headgear as claimed in claim 1 wherein said harness is
comprised of a single contour horizontal adjusting band and a
height adjusting band, a further adjustment member being secured to
said height adjusting band to displace same. .Iaddend. .Iadd.47. A
headgear as claimed in claim 46 wherein said horizontal contour
band and said height adjusting band are band sections of a
one-piece band. .Iaddend. .Iadd.48. A headgear as claimed in claim
1 wherein said connecting means is guidingly displaced in a guide
channel formed in said inner protective lining, said guide channel
being disposed to maintain said adjusting band in proper position
inside said headgear. .Iaddend. .Iadd.49. A headgear as claimed in
claim 48 wherein said attachment element is retained captive
between an inner face of said outer shell and said protective
lining and displaceable therebetween to retain and displace said
connecting means in said guide channel between said inner surface
of said protective lining and said outer shell. .Iaddend. .Iadd.50.
A headgear as claimed in claim 48 wherein said adjustment member
and trough-like housing extends within said guide channel to
displace said connecting means therein, said connecting means being
a bridge member connected between said displaceable attachment end
portion of said band and said attachment element. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.51. A protective headgear comprising a helmet member for
protecting a wearer's head, said helmet member having a protective
shell and at least a horizontal flexible sizing band connected to
said protective headgear;
an adjustable sizing device secured to said protective shell and
said horizontal sizing band to provide proper fitting of said
helmet on the head of a wearer;
said adjustable sizing device including an adjustment member which
is accessible outwardly of said helmet member;
said horizontal sizing band having a connector secured to a
displaceable portion of said band, said connector having an
elongated flexible threaded member secured thereto;
said adjustment member including a thread engaging adjustment knob
in threaded engagement with said threaded member to pull said
threaded member through said knob to displace at least said
displaceable portion of said band, said thread engaging adjustment
knob being located in a trough-like housing secured to said
protective shell with said threaded member extending through
opposed walls of said housing and thereby retaining said
knob captive in said housing. .Iaddend. .Iadd.52. A headgear as
claimed in claim 51 wherein said connector is guidingly displaced
in a guide channel formed in said protective headgear, said guide
channel being disposed horizontally to maintain said horizontal
flexible sizing band in proper position inside said protective
shell. .Iaddend. .Iadd.53. A headgear as claimed in claim 52
wherein said trough-like housing extends within said guide channel,
said trough-like housing having opposed end walls provided with a
passage through which said threaded member extends. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.54. A headgear as claimed in claim 53 wherein said connector
is a bridge member, said longated flexible threaded member being
secured to a free end of said bridge member, said trough-like
housing being spaced from an inner surface of said protective
headgear. .Iaddend.
Description
This is a reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 593,936 issued Mar. 10,
1992..Iaddend.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protective sports headgear which
comprises a helmet member having a sizing harness secured in the
helmet and adjustable to fit the wearer's head by means of finger
adjusting members secured to the helmet and accessible from the
outer face of the helmet.
2. Description of Prior Art
Protective headgears are worn in various types of sports such as
hockey, football, cycling, just to name a few, and these have
various shapes and forms and are provided with or without face
protecting devices. Such known helmets have various disadvantages
which have heretofore not been remedied. One of the disadvantages
is that certain of these helmets do not provide adequate protection
to the head of the wearer and one cause of this is usually because
the helmet is not properly fitted to the head of the wearer.
Another disadvantage of known helmets is that when they are snugly
fit on the head of a wearer, they do not provide head ventilation
and, accordingly, the wearer will sweat profoundly from the head
often impairing his vision as well as making the wearer feel very
uncomfortable. This is particularly so when the helmet is fit with
a protection visor. The sweat will fog the visor and thereby impair
the wearer's vision which could again be a cause of injury due to
poor visibility. Another disadvantage of known helmets is that in
certain sports, they are provided with faceguards which are
attached by metal rivets or other type fasteners and such fasteners
can cause injury to the wearer, particularly when they protrude
inside the helmet.
Referring now more specifically to helmets utilized in the sport of
hockey, it has become common practice to provide visors and
faceguard frames secured to the helmet whereby to protect the edes
and nose of the wearer or the entire face of the wearer including
the ears. The majority of known visors often need to be cleaned
when they fog up due to sweat generated by the wearer, it is often
necessary to remove the entire helmet and to hinge the faceguard in
order to have access to the inside surface of the visor. This is
time-consuming and often the hockey player will continue playing
the game with impaired vision thereby diminishing his abilities as
well as making him more susceptible to injury.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a protective
sports headqear which substantially overcomes all of the
above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a protective
sports headgear having a helmet member with a sizing harness
secured inwardly thereof with adjustable bands which can be
adjusted with the helmet positioned on the wearer's head by
adjustable members provided on the outer surface of the helmet.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a protective
sports headgear which comprises a helmet having a sizing harness
secured inwardly thereof to space the wearer's head from an inner
protective lining in at least some inner areas of the helmet member
and wherein vent holes are provided in the helmet to ventilate the
wearer's head to reduce sweating and to make the helmet more
comfortable. The sizing harness will accommodate any head size due
to its flexibility in adjustment.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a protective
sports headgear having a faceguard frame and a visor hingedly
secured to the frame whereby the visor can be easily hinged away
from a sighting opening so as to clean the visor or to simply place
it in a position of non-use when the wearer does not require
same.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide an improved
protective sports headgear having plastic-type fasteners secured
thereto to retain various parts of the helmet construction and
wherein the fasteners provide added protection to the wearer and
wherein the construction and design of the helmet is an improvement
over known helmets of the prior art.
According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present
invention provides a protective headgear' which comprises a helmet
member shaped to protect the top, rear, front and sides of a
wearer's head. The helmet member has a rigid outer shell with an
inner protective lining of shock absorbing material. A sizing
harness is secured to the helmet and disposed inwardly thereof The
harness has a height adjusting band and a horizontal contour
adjusting band. Adjustable sizing means is secured to the helmet
and the adjusting bands to fit the bands on the head of a wearer
and thereby spacing the head from the protective lining in at least
some inner areas of the helmet member. Means is provided to secure
the helmet to a wearer's head.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide an improved
protective sports headgear for use in the sport of hockey and
wherein an ear shield is secured to the helmet member and extends
over an ear clearance area whereby to cover a substantial portion
of a wearer's ear.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide an improved
protective sports headgear having a helmet member comprised of a
rigid outer shell and an inner protective lining of shock absorbing
material secured to the shell by ribbed fasteners constructed of
plastics material and which do not transfer impact.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a faceguard
frame securable to a helmet member to protect a wearer's face and
wherein the faceguard frame is of mesh-like construction and has a
sighting opening in an eye and nose region of the face of the
wearer. A visor of clear plastics material is hingedly connected to
the faceguard frame and hingeable upwardly of the sighting opening.
Lock means is provided to immovably secure the visor in its
position of use across the sighting opening. A half faceguard frame
is also provided.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a
thermoformed plastic frame secured to a helmet member of a
protective sports headgear to protect a goaltender's face. The
thermoformed plastic frame has a face opening across which is
secured a protective member. A pivoting throat guard is formed as a
solid molded piece and secured to the frame by opposed pivot
connectors and pivotal from a lower chin band section of the
frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of the protective sports headgear of the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is an inside view of the protective sports headgear of FIG.
1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective inside view illustrating the positioning of
the head sizing harness;
FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the shape and construction of
the sizing harness;
FIG. 5 is a fragmented perspective view showing the manner in which
the sizing harness is secured to an adjustment member accessible
from the outer surface of the helmet;
FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are plan, side and end views, respectively, of
the sizing band connectors;
FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are plan, side and end views, respectively,
showing how the sizing band connector is secured to the housing in
which an adjustment knob is retained;
FIGS. 8A and 8B are side and end views, respectively, of the
adjustment knob;
FIGS. 9A and 9B are side and top views, respectively, of the
trough-like housing;
FIGS. 10A and 10B are side and top views, respectively, of rib
fasteners and stem-engaging cup member as seen from the end edge
thereof;
FIGS. 11A and 11B are similar views to FIGS. 10A and 10B but
showing the rib fastener from the side thereof;
FIG. 12 is a section view of a female lug fastener constructed of
plastics material;
FIG. 13 is a side view of a male snap fastener;
FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C are side, section and plan views of a frame
attachment hinge member constructed of plastics material;
FIG. 15 is a side view of a faceguard frame constructed in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 16 is a fragmented front view of the faceguard frame of FIG.
1;
FIG. 17 is a top inside view of the rib cage section of the
faceguard frame;
FIGS. 18A and 18B along section lines A--A and B of FIG. 16;
FIG. 19A is a side view showing the hinge connection and detachable
lock means of the faceguard frame;
FIG, 19B is a section side view of the flexible retention finger of
FIG. 19A;
FIG. 20 is a side view, partly sectioned, showing the construction
of the visor and its attachment means to secure to the faceguard
frame;
FIG. 21 is a front view of a visor;
FIG. 22 is a top view of the visor;
FIG. 23 is a fragmented section view of the retention bore which
engages with the retention head of the flexible retention
finger;
FIGS. 24 and 25 are side views showing the manner in which the
visor is hinged to the faceguard frame;
FIG. 26 is a view similar to FIGS. 24 and 25 but showing the visor
secured to a half faceguard; and
FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a thermoformed plastic goalie
faceguard frame for securement to a helmet member.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to
3, there is shown generally at 10, the protective sports headgear
of the present invention and particularly, but not exclusively, a
sports headgear. The headgear comprises a helmet member 11 which is
shaped to protect the top, rear, front and sides of a wearer's head
12. The helmet member has a rigid outer shell 13 with an inner
protective lining 14 formed of thick polyurethane foam or other
rigid foam-like material being light weight and having shock
absorbing properties. The shell has a uniform outer surface with no
ridges to catch when the wearer's head hits objects. The uniform
surface also deflects blows imparted to it.
A sizing harness 15 is secured to the helmet by fasteners 16, which
will be described later, at various predetermined locations along
the band, so as to secure same to the helmet member while still
providing adjustability about the wearer's head. As shown in FIG.
4, the sizing harness 15 is made as a one-piece band of flexible
material, herein a flexible plastics material, and defines a
horizontal contour-adjusting hand section 15' and a
height-adjusting ban section 15".
Adjustable sizing means, herein in the form of adjustment knobs 17,
are provided on each side of the helmet and accessible from the
outer face of the rigid outer shell 13. The knob 17' as shown in
FIG. 1 is utilized to adjust the horizontal contour band section
15' while the adjustment knob 17, as shown in FIG. 3, is utilized
to adjust the height-adjusting band section 15". Accordingly, the
bands can be fitted comfortably about the wearer's head and by such
means can space the wearer's head in at least some section of the
helmet member to provide a comfortable fit and also to permit
ventilation through the helmet through the vent holes 18' and 18"
extending through the outer shell 13 and the inner protective
lining 14. Also, when an impact is absorbed by the helmet, it is
easy to readjust the harness if it loosens during impact as the
blow is absorbed.
Referring again to FIG. 4, it can be seen that certain parts of the
band are provided with holes 18 which reduces the formation of
sweat against the wearer's head. Lugs 19 are also formed integral
with the band to provide securement of same to the helmet member.
Chin strap connecting bands 20 are also formed integral with the
harness. Also formed integral with the adjustment horizontal and
height adjustment band sections 15' and 15" is a connector bridge
21 having an elevated top wall 24 as shown at 22. A pair of
connecting holes 23 are provided in the top wall 24 of the
connector bridge 21 whereby to connect to adjustment members 25 as
shown in FIG. 5.
Referring now additionally to FIGS. 5 to 9B, there will be
described the manner in which the harness is adjustable. As shown
in FIGS. 6A to 6C, the adjustment members comprise a band connector
26 provided with an attachment element 27 securable to a respective
one of the adjusting band sections 15' and 15". An elongated
flexible threaded member 28 is integrally formed with the
attachment element 27. One or more prongs 29 are formed in the
attachment element 27 and protrude thereabove to engage within the
connecting holes 23 provided in the connector block 21 of the
harness. The securement of the attachment element 27 to the
connector block could also be made by other fastening means, such
as a separate connector pin.
A flat wing element 30 is formed integral with the attachment
element 27 and is retained captive between an inner face of the
outer shell 13 and the protective lining 14 and extends -to each
side of a guide channel 31, as shown in FIG. 5. The guide channels
are formed within the inner protective lining 14 and extend
therethrough. The location of the horizontal guide channel 31 is
shown in phantom lines in FIG. I and the vertical guide channel 31'
is shown in phantom lines in FIG. 3. The size of this channel is
selected so that the connector bridge 31 is closely guided therein
so as to maintain the adjustable band sections in proper position
inside the helmet.
FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate the construction of the adjusting knobs
17 and as herein shown, they are comprised as a cylindrical wheel
32 having an inner threaded bore 33 and a plurality of finger
engaging ribs 34 formed in an outer surface thereof and extending
parallel to the through bore 33 for rotating the cylinder knob 32
about the elongated threaded member 28, as shown in FIG. 7C.
Referring additionally to FIGS. 9A and 9B, there is shown the
construction of a trough-like housing 35 which is secured in
locating holes provided in the outer shell 13 and inner protective
lining 14. The trough-like housing 35 has an arcuate side wall 36
and opposed U-shaped end walls 37. Holes 38 are provided in the end
walls to accommodate the passage of the elongated flexible threaded
member 28 therethrough, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C. The adjusting
cylinder knob 32 is located within the housing 35 and is in
threaded engagement with the threaded member 28 extending
therethrough, as shown in FIG. 7C. Accordingly, by turning the knob
32, the threaded member 28 is displaced axially through the housing
and thereby displaces the adjusting band sections 15' and 15" which
are connected to the attachment element 27. FIG. 7C shows the
position of the adjustable band section 15' riding on the top inner
surface of the inner protective lining 14 with the wing element 30
being positioned in sliding fit between the outer shell 13 of the
helmet and the protective lining 14 and extending beyond the edges
of the guide channel 31. Accordingly, by rotating the adjusting
knobs 17 and 17', the band is fitted about the wearer's head and
this can be done while the helmet is positioned on the wearer's
head. The adjustment knobs 17 also provide for very finite
adjustment of the band and thus adding to the comfort and proper
sizing. It is also not necessary to remove the helmet to make the
sizing adjustment. It is also pointed out that the cylinder knobs
are disposed along different axes to indicate to which of the bands
it is connected and as hereinshown, the adjustment knob of FIG. 1
is disposed horizontally to indicate it is attached to the
horizontal band section 15' whilst the adjustment knob 17 is
disposed vertically to indicate that it is connected to the
vertical or height adjustment band section 15".
Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that a plurality of vent holes
18 are provided within the outer shell and the inner protective
lining with the front vent holes 18' being disposed horizontally to
admit more air inside the helmet member 11. Accordingly, as the
wearer displaces himself, air enters the helmet through the frontal
air holes in the direction of arrows 39 and exit through the top
holes 18" as shown by arrows 40. Some ventilation also takes place
through the back of the neck as illustrated by arrow 40' due to the
spacing provided by the harness. This permits the wearer's head to
be cooled thereby generating less sweat and maintaining the wearer
more comfortable to perform his sports activity. The height
adjusting band maintains a clearance between the inner surface of
the inner protective lining 14 and the top of the wearer's head to
achieve this feature. Of course, this clearance will vary depending
on the size of the wearer's head and the size of the helmet being
worn. The vent holes 18 are herein shown as disposed along a
central band portion of the helmet from a frontal head area to a
rear head area. Although these are shown as being of substantially
rectangular configuration, they could also be shaped differently
and disposed in spaced-apart pairs or again differently. Channels
(not shown) could also be formed inside the lining and disposed in
alignment with the vent holes.
Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 3, it can be seen that the inner foam
protective lining 14 extends beyond at least the forehead and neck
portion of the rigid outer shell. A protective shield 41 formed of
flexible plastics material extends over a portion of the rigid foam
material 14 in the forehead portion of the headgear to protect the
foam in this area. This shield is immovably secured in position by
means of plastic fasteners 42.
As can be seen from FIG. 1, the helmet member defines an ear
clearance area 43 on each side thereof. An ear shield 44 is secured
to the helmet by suitable fasteners such as at 45 and 46 and
extends over the ear clearance area and depends therefrom to cover
a substantial portion of a wearer's ear. The car shield 96 is
molded from a flexible plastics material and protrudes outwardly of
the plane of the rigid outer shell. Vent holes 47 are provided on
the shield to vent this area and also not to shield the ear from
sounds so that the wearer's audibility is not impaired. This ear
shield is molded as a U-shaped member with an ear shield section 44
at opposed ends of the member and a connecting band section 48
being disposed intermediate of the ear shields and overlying a rear
extension portion of the inner protective lining 14 in a rear
portion of the helmet. This provides added protection for the inner
protective lining in this area of the wearer's head. Accordingly,
this construction provides added protection to the wearer's head in
the ear and neck portion areas.
Referring now to FIGS. 10A, 10B, 11A and 11B, there is shown the
construction of rib fasteners 50 which are constructed of plastics
or nylon-type material. The rib fasteners are provided with a rib
stem member 51 and a stem-engaging cup member 5. The stem member 51
is an elongated straight flat stem member, as shown in FIG. 11A,
and is provided with opposed transverse, equidistantly spaced
attachment ribs 52 on opposed flat side walls 53 of the stem. A
flat transverse head 54 is provided at one end of the stem. A
tapered locating free end 55 is provided at the opposed end of the
stem. The cup member 52 has a recessed bottom wall 56 with a
straight rectangular slot 57 provided centrally therein for
receiving the free end and a portion of the ribbed stem member
therethrough. A circumferential flange 58 extends about the side
wall 59 of the cup member which is herein shown as a circular cup
member. A pair of retention flexible shoulders 60 are disposed on
opposed sides of a rectangular slot 57 and have an inward
inclination to engage with the stem between the ribs, as shown in
FIG. 10A.
The ribs 51 are provided with outwardly sloping side walls 51' and
a transverse retention rear wall 51". The flexible shoulders 60 of
the cup member are displaced outwardly by the sloping side will 51'
when the stem is pushed through the rectangular slot 57. Each of
the flexible shoulders 60 have a flat engaging top edge 61. This
top edge 61 engages with the transverse retention rear wall 51" of
the ribs to prevent the stem from being pulled back from the
rectangular slot of the stem engaging cup. It is also pointed out
that the side walls 59 of the cup member are longer than the
distance from the leading edge of a rib sloping side wall 51'
disposed on top of the pair of retention shoulders 60 so that the
stem can be severed at the rib leading edge so that the severed
stem does not protrude beyond the circumferential flange 58 of the
cup. This provides added security inside the lining of the headgear
not to touch the wearer's head. The stem and cup members are molded
from pliable plastic material. As shown in FIG. 10A, the cup member
52 is disposed in a circular bore 62 formed in the inner surface of
the protective material 14. The head 54 of the stem rests on an
outer surface of the rigid outer shell 13.
FIG. 12 shows the construction of a female-type lug fastener 63
which is utilized to secure various parts to the helmet member. The
female lug fastener is constructed from a plastics material and
provided with an inner flexible rim 64 which flexes out to allow
the passage of a male snap fastener 65 therein. The male snap
fastener is provided with a retention head 66 and a flat outer head
67. These fasteners are all constructed of plastics material to
provide added security to the wearer and are preferable over metal
fasteners.
Referring now to FIGS. 14 to 18, there is shown the construction of
a one-piece molded clear plastic faceguard frame 70 constructed in
accordance with the present invention. The faceguard frame is of
mesh-like construction and is comprised of a ribbed cage section 71
disposed below the eye and nose region 72 of a wearer's face
whereby to protect the mouth, chin, neck and lower face of the
wearer. A forehead section 73 is disposed in line with the forehead
of a wearer and is provided for hinge attachment with the helmet
member 11. A large sighting area 74 is defined between the forehead
section 73 and the ribbed cage section 71.
The ribbed cage section 71 is constructed of a plurality of
horizontal and transverse ribs 75 and 76 respectively, as can be
seen from FIGS, 18A and 18B and which are spaced apart a
predetermined distance to provide adequate protection. The ribs are
also of substantially triangular cross-section, as shown in FIGS.
18A and 18B, with the apex 77 of these ribs being located
exteriorly of the cage section and aligned with the cone of vision
of the sighting opening not to impair the wearer's vision. The
forehead section 73 is provided with a rear rib 78 rearwardly of a
top edge thereof. This rib is received within an integrally formed
frame attachment hinge member 79 as shown in FIGS. 14A to 14C.
As shown in FIGS. 14A to 14C, the frame attachment hinge member is
an integrally formed member of flexible plastics material and
defines a female connector section 80 for receiving a male snap
member, such as the member 65 shown in FIG. 13, whereby to secure
the frame attachment member 79 to the helmet member. Retention loop
section 81 is formed integral with the female connector and is
positioned about the rib member 78 on the forehead section of the
faceguard frame 70. The retention loop 81 has a flexible throat
opening 82 disposed rearwardly thereof and extends about the female
connector 80 to lock the opening 82 when the male snap member 65 is
engaged with the female connector 80. In this manner, the faceguard
frame is hingedly retained by the frame attachment member to the
front forehead portion of the helmet member. Preferably, two of
such frame attachment hinge members are provided one on each side
of the central rib 83 provided in the forehead rib section 73.
The faceguard frame 70 is also provided with integrally formed
opposed rear wall sections 84 disposed behind the cone of vision of
the headgear and a slot 85 is formed in a bottom comer thereof
through which an attachment strap is secured to connect the
faceguard frame 70 to opposed sides of the helmet member, in a
manner well known in the art. A visor hinge connecting hole 86 is
provided in an upper area of the rear wall sections 84 whereby to
receive a visor hinge member, as will be described later. A lock
retention finger 87 is also formed integral with the rear wall
section 84 and its function will also be described later.
Referring now additionally to FIGS. 19A to 26, and more
particularly to FIGS. 24 to 26, it can be seen that a clear
plastics visor 88 is hingedly connected on the hinge pin fastener
89 to the faceguard frame 70 whereby to overlie the sighting
opening 74 to protect the eye and nose region of the face of a
wearer. As shown in FIGS. 20 to 23, the visor 98 is provided with
an elongated slot 90 formed on opposed side end portions thereof
for connection with the pivot connector 89. The slot 90 has a top
vertical section 91 to permit the visor to be displaced vertically
for nesting and removal from locating ledges 92 formed along the
top edge of the ribbed cage section 71 below the sighting opening
74. The slot 90 further defines a rearwardly extending depending
section 93 to permit the visor to hinge upwardly and outwards as
shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, respectively. A retention bore 94 is
disposed below the slot 90 and has a straight bottom sloping edge
95, as better seen in FIG. 23, for mating retention with an
undercut edge 96 of the lock retention finger 87, as better shown
in FIG. 19B. As shown in FIG. 19A, the lock retention finger is
integrally molded with the faceguard frame which is constructed of
a clear plastics material. The head section 97 of the retention
finger 87 is provided with an outwardly protruding wall 98 so that
the retention ledge 96 extends outwardly of the outer face of the
rear wall section 84 of the faceguard frame 70. The hinge
connection 89 maintains the retention bore 94 of the visor
perfectly aligned with the head 97 of the lock retention finger 87
so that the head sloping wall 98 will cause the finger 87 to flex
slightly inwardly of the faceguard frame when hinged thereover and
as soon as the retention bore 94 is aligned with the head 97, it
will snap or click into position locking the visor to the faceguard
frame with the lower edge 99 of the visor resting on the support
ledges 92. The clicking sound assures the wearer that the visor is
locked in position.
The visor 88 is also provided with a locating flange 100 in a top
edge thereof to guidingly position the visor relative to the
vertical ribs 83 and 101 provided in the forehead section 73 of the
faceguard frame 70. Slots 102 are defined between flange sections
100' to accommodate the ribs 83 and 101. Accordingly, the locating
flange 100 also sits on the horizontal frontal rib 103 of the
forehead section 73.
As can be seen in FIGS. 24 to 26, in order to hinge the visor 88
upwardly of the sighting opening 74, it is firstly necessary to
depress the head 97 of the lock retention finger 87 to disengage
the ledge 96 from the ledge 95. The visor can then be pushed
upwardly off its nesting ledges, as shown in FIG. 25. The hinge pin
89 has thus moved to the bottom of the vertical section 91 of the
visor connecting slot 93. The visor is then pushed outwardly and
upwards, as shown in FIG. 26, and the hinge pin 89 is then located
in the bottom portion of the rearwardly depending slot section 93.
In this position, the wearer has clear vision and this permits the
visor to clear itself by ventilation of the fogged up area. It also
permits better ventilation of a wearer's face permitting the wearer
to wipe his forehead or eyes. The hinge pin 89 may be formed from
the connector described in FIGS. 12 and 13 or otherwise and provide
a rigid frictional retention fit so as to maintain the visor in its
retracted position as shown in FIG. 26. Alternatively, it is
conceivable that the bottom portion of the slot section 93 be
provided with an upper end section 93' (see FIG. 24) in which the
hinge pin 89 would enter to maintain the visor supported as shown
in FIG. 26.
As is shown in FIG. 26, the faceguard frame 70' is herein shown as
a half-frame to support the visor 88 only. The fastener 89 in this
application goes into the helmet as well as through the frame 70'
and the visor 88. With this frame, the eyes and nose area of the
face only is protected.
Referring now to FIG. 27, there is shown a thermoformed plastic
frame 110 secured to the helmet member 11 whereby to protect a
goaltender's face. The plastic frame 110 has a face opening 111
across which is secured a protective grill member 112, well known
in the art, and which is usually formed from steel wires welded
together. The plastic frame 110 of the present invention is
pivotally secured to the helmet member 11 by the pivot fastener 113
whereby the frame 110 can be displaced rearwardly along the
direction of arrows 114 to clear the face of the wearer. A pivoting
throat guard 115 is pivotally secured by connector 116 to the
thermoformed plastic frame 110 and pivots downwardly from the lower
chin band section 117 of the frame 110 in the direction as shown by
double arrowhead 118.
The throat guard 115 has an integrally formed bib section 119 which
extends outwardly of an upwardly extending ledge section 120 which
mates or which is closely spaced to the chin band 117 thereby the
chin band will restrict the upward displacement of the throat guard
115 so that it does not pivot above the chin band.
The thermoformed plastic frame 110 is provided with an integrally
formed rearwardly sloping forehead section 121 which overlies the
frontal portion of the helmet member 114 and outwardly flared side
wings 122 which protects and overlaps the ears of a wearer. A
plurality of holes 123 are provided in the side wings for
ventilation and not to impair the audibility of the wearer.
It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any
obvious modifications of the invention described herein provided
such modifications fall within the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *