# US 11,297,890 B2 · Football helmet

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- Number: US 11,297,890 B2
- Document ID: US11297890B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/088,744
- Filed: 2016-03-27
- Published: 2020-05-28
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-27
- Assignees: Impact Solutions AS
- Applicants: Impact Solution LLC
- Inventors: Catalin Tutunaru
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11297890B2

## CPC

- A42B 3/063: {using layered structures}
- A42B 3/20: Face guards, e.g. for ice hockey (A42B3/22 takes precedence)
- A42B 3/105: {with additional protection for the neck (protective garments for neck or shoulder area A41D13/0512)}
- A42B: HATS; HEAD COVERINGS (headbands A41D20/00; head-scarves A41D23/00)

## Abstract

The present invention is a football helmet designed to reduce the occurrence of concussions and subconcussive impacts to the brain through use of a novel exterior shape and sandwich of materials. The present invention also reduces the occurrence of neck injuries through the use of a flexible neck support that provides protection against frontal impacts without restricting a player's range of motion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A helmet comprising:
a rigid layer capable of being worn over a user's head;
an inner layer fixed to an inside surface of the rigid layer and capable of absorbing impact energy; and
an outer layer fixed to an outside surface of the rigid layer and capable of absorbing impact energy, and
wherein each of said inner and outer layers comprises a plurality of grooves for allowing flexure of the helmet in a vicinity of a neck of the user, and wherein said rigid layer ends at a point above said plurality of grooves and said inner and outer layers extend below said point.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The helmet of claim 1, wherein said inner layer has a density between 15 and 50 pounds per cubic foot.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The helmet of claim 2, wherein said outer layer has a density between two and 15 pounds per cubic foot.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The helmet of claim 1, wherein said inner layer comprises a viscoelastic foam.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The helmet of claim 4, wherein said outer layer comprises a viscoelastic foam.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The helmet of claim 5, wherein the viscoelastic foam of said inner layer has an open-cell structure and is capable of molding to the contour of the head of the user wearing said helmet.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The helmet of claim 6, wherein the viscoelastic foam of said outer layer has an open-cell structure and is capable of absorbing high impact energy.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The helmet of claim 7, wherein said inner layer has a density between 15 and 50 pounds per cubic foot.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The helmet of claim 8, wherein said outer layer has a density between two and 15 pounds per cubic foot.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The helmet of claim 9, wherein said inner layer further comprises an additional layer of viscoelastic foam with a density between two and 15 pounds per cubic inch.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The helmet of claim 10, wherein said helmet further comprises a layer of abrasion resistant material fixed to an outer surface of said outer layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The helmet of claim 11, wherein said abrasion resistant material comprises a polyester material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The helmet of claim 11, wherein said abrasion resistant material comprises carbon fiber cloth.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The helmet of claim 11, wherein said rigid layer further comprises carbon fiber.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The helmet of claim 14, wherein said outer layer has a cone shaped peak with a rounded apex.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The helmet of claim 15, wherein said apex is located on top of a centerline of the helmet when viewed from a front of the helmet.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The helmet of claim 16, further comprising two ear holes, each ear hole located substantially over a respective ear of the user when the user is wearing said helmet;
wherein said apex is located at rear of a vertical line drawn from the center of one ear hole when said helmet is upright and viewed from a side of the helmet.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The helmet of claim 17, wherein when said helmet is upright and viewed from the side, when a line is drawn between one ear hole and said apex, the angle between the line drawn and the vertical line of claim 17 is between zero and 35 degrees.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The helmet of claim 1, wherein one or more of said grooves have a curved profile.