Helmet fitting system

A fit system positionable adjacent interior portions of a helmet and cranial surfaces of a cranium of a wearer of the helmet proximate the interior portions of the helmet for improving the fit of the helmet to the cranium, the system comprising an elongate pliable member that is substantially M-shaped when positioned in a planar orientation and being positionable in a non-planar relationship within the helmet so as to substantially wrap around side portions of the cranium, temple areas of the cranium, a rear occipital protuberance portion of the cranium and an upper portion of the cranium.

A helmet comprising a shell having a shock attenuation liner adjacent an interior portion of the shell and a fit system adjacent the interior portion for contacting portions of the cranium, the fit system comprising an elongate fluid impervious bladder having a first end including an inlet port in fluid communication with the bladder and a second end remote from the first end, the bladder defining a single continuous fluid flowpath between the first end and the second end for receiving fluid introducible into the bladder through the inlet port for expanding the bladder so that substantially the entire length of the bladder may be expanded to engage mutually facing portions of the cranium of the user and interior portions of the helmet, the bladder being positionable within the helmet so as to substantially wrap around side portions of the cranium, temple areas of the cranium, a rear occipital protuberance portion of the cranium and an upper portion of the cranium without compromising the fluid flow path.

A helmet comprising a shell having a shock attenuation liner adjacent an interior portion of the shell and a fit system adjacent the interior portion for contacting portions of the cranium, the fit system comprising an elongate pliable member that is substantially M-shaped when positioned in a planar orientation and being positionable in a non-planar relationship within the helmet so as to substantially wrap around side portions of the cranium, temple areas of the cranium, a rear occipital protuberance portion of the cranium and an upper portion of the cranium.

A method of fitting a helmet to a cranium, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a helmet comprising a shell having a shock attenuation liner adjacent an interior portion of the shell and a fit system adjacent the interior portion for contacting portions of the cranium, the fit system comprising an elongate fluid impervious bladder having a first end including an inlet port in fluid communication with the bladder and a second end remote from the first end, the bladder defining a single continuous fluid flowpath between the first end and the second end for receiving fluid introducible into the bladder through the inlet port for expanding the bladder so that substantially the entire length of the bladder may be expanded to engage mutually facing portions of the cranium of the user and interior portions of the helmet, the bladder being positionable within the helmet so as to substantially wrap around portions of the cranium without compromising the fluid flow path;
• positioning the helmet on the cranium of the user such that the fit system substantially wraps around portions of the cranium without compromising the fluid flow path;
• introducing fluid into the bladder via the inlet port to desirably expand the fit system to engage adjacent portions of the cranium of the user and the liner of the helmet.

A fit system positionable adjacent interior portions of a helmet and cranial surfaces of a cranium of a wearer of the helmet proximate the interior portions of the helmet for improving the fit of the helmet to the cranium, the system comprising an elongate fluid impervious bladder having a first end including an inlet port in fluid communication with the bladder and a second end remote from the first end, the bladder defining a single continuous fluid flowpath between the first end and the second end for receiving fluid introducible into the bladder through the inlet port for expanding the bladder so that substantially the entire length of the bladder may be expanded to engage portions of the cranium of the user and interior portions of the helmet.