Football helmet with impact attenuation system
AssigneeRiddell, Inc.
InventorsVittorio Bologna, Nelson Kraemer, Thad M. Ide
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A protective football helmet is provided having a one-piece molded shell with an impact attenuation system. This system includes an impact attenuation member formed in an extent of the front shell portion by removing material from the front portion. The impact attenuation member is purposely engineered to change how the front portion responds to an impact force applied substantially normal to the front portion as compared to how other portions of the shell respond to that impact force. In one version, the impact attenuation member is a cantilevered segment formed in the front portion of the shell.
Claims34
A football helmet to be worn by a player while playing football, the helmet comprising:
- a one-piece shell including:
- a crown portion defining an upper region of the shell;
- a front portion extending generally forwardly and downwardly from the crown portion, the front portion including a lower frontal region that extends continuously along the front portion;
- left and right side portions extending generally downwardly and laterally from the crown portion, each of the left and right side portions having an ear flap configured to overlie an ear of the player wearing the helmet;
- a rear portion extending generally rearwardly and downwardly from the crown portion;
- and,
- means for dynamically varying impact response of the shell when an impact is applied to the shell, wherein said means includes an entire continuous gap formed completely through the shell and above the lower frontal region, said continuous gap having both a substantially vertical gap segment and a substantially horizontal gap segment extending laterally from the vertical gap segment towards one of the left and right side portions of the shell.
A protective sports helmet to be worn by a wearer, the helmet comprising:
- an outer shell including:
- a crown portion defining an upper region of the shell;
- a front portion extending generally forwardly and downwardly from the crown portion, the front portion having a lower frontal shell region that is adjacent a lower frontal edge of the shell;
- left and right side portions extending generally downwardly and laterally from the crown portion, and wherein the lower frontal edge extends continuously between the left and right side portions;
- a rear portion extending generally rearwardly and downwardly from the crown portion;
- an entire continuous gap formed completely through the shell and above the lower frontal shell region, the continuous gap having a first gap segment that extends towards the lower frontal edge of the shell and a second gap segment that extends from the first segment towards one of the left and right side portions of the shell;
- and,
- an impact attenuation member formed in the front portion of the shell adjacent and above the lower frontal shell region, wherein an extent of the impact attenuation member is positioned adjacent to the first and second gap segments of the continuous gap.
A protective sports helmet to be worn by a wearer, the helmet comprising:
- a shell including:
- a crown portion defining an upper region of the shell;
- a front portion extending generally forwardly and downwardly from the crown portion, the front portion having a continuous lower frontal edge;
- left and right side portions extending generally downwardly and laterally from the crown portion, each of the left and right side portions having an ear flap configured to overlie an ear of the player wearing the helmet, and wherein the continuous lower frontal edge extends between the left and right side portion;
- a rear portion extending generally rearwardly and downwardly from the crown portion, the rear portion having a continuous lower rear edge extending between the left and right side portions;
- and
- an impact attenuation member that is both:
- (i) formed above the continuous lower frontal edge and (ii) partially surrounded by an entire frontal gap formed completely through the front portion of the shell;
- an energy attenuation assembly positioned within the shell, the energy attenuation assembly having a front energy attenuation member that underlies the frontal gap.
The protective sports helmet claim of 22, wherein the front portion of the shell has a structural modulus that is different than a structural modulus of the crown portion of the shell.
The protective sports helmet claim of 22, wherein the front portion of the shell includes a sidewall that extends:
- (i) outwards from the shell, and (ii) upward from a point near a distal end of the impact attenuation member and towards the crown portion of the shell.
The protective sports helmet claim of 22, wherein application of a first normal force causes the impact attenuation member to deform 0.125 inches, while application of a second normal force that is greater than the first normal force causes one of the left and right side portions of the shell to deform 0.125 inches.
The protective sports helmet claim of 1, wherein the front portion of the shell includes a sidewall that extends:
- (i) outwards from the shell, and (ii) upward from a point near an extent of the means for dynamically varying impact response of the shell and towards the crown portion of the shell.
The protective sports helmet claim of 13, wherein the front portion of the shell includes a sidewall that extends:
- (i) outwards from the shell, and (ii) upward from a point near an extent of the impact attenuation member and towards the crown portion of the shell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.