Protective sports helmet
AssigneeBell Sports, Inc.
InventorMichael W. Lowe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A protective helmet having a protective shell, a low friction layer, and a comfort liner is disclosed. The protective shell includes an energy absorbing material and an inner surface. The low friction layer is coupled to the inner surface of the protective shell. The low friction layer may be plastic having a thickness of less than approximately 3 mm. The comfort liner is removably coupled to the low friction layer opposite the protective shell, and includes a low friction material, such as brushed nylon, adjacent the low friction liner. The comfort liner may be removably coupled protective shell with either clips that removably couple to receivers embedded in the brow of the helmet, with elastically deformable couplings that extend from the comfort liner to the protective shell, or both.
Claims26
A football helmet comprising:
- an outer shell having an inner surface;
- an energy absorbing layer positioned adjacent to the inner surface of the outer shell;
- a plastic layer positioned adjacent to and underlying a majority of the energy absorbing layer, the plastic layer having an opening formed therethrough wherein said opening extends between an inner surface of the plastic layer and an outer surface of the plastic layer, wherein the outer surface is oriented towards the energy absorbing layer;
- a comfort liner assembly having an arrangement of pad members and a coupling member with:
- (i) a base portion, (ii) an intermediate portion with a first width, and (iii) an end portion with a second width that is greater than the first width of the intermediate portion;
- and
- wherein the comfort liner assembly is removably secured to the plastic layer by the coupling member that is configured to extend through an opening in the plastic layer to define an installed position where said end portion of the coupling member extends past the outer surface of the plastic layer.
A protective sports helmet comprising:
- an outer shell having an inner surface and a brow region;
- an energy absorbing layer having an inner portion and an outer portion, the outer portion of the energy absorbing layer being connected to the inner surface of the outer shell;
- a plastic layer coupled to and underlying a majority of the inner portion of the energy absorbing layer;
- a comfort liner assembly configured to be positioned between the plastic layer and a head of a wearer when the protective sports helmet is worn by the wearer, the comfort liner assembly including an arrangement of pad members and an elongated coupler having opposed base and end portions and an intermediate portion extending between the base and end portions;
- wherein the comfort liner assembly is removably secured to the plastic layer by the elongated coupler that is configured to extend through an opening in the plastic layer to define an installed position;
- and
- wherein in the installed position, (i) the intermediate portion of the elongated coupler both resides within the opening formed in the plastic layer and extends between an inner surface of the plastic layer and an outer surface of the plastic layer, and (ii) the end portion of the elongated coupler extends beyond the outer surface of the plastic layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.