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AssigneeBell Sports, Inc.
InventorsChristopher T. Pietrzak, Michael W. Lowe
Estimating the term…
A custom-fitted protective sports equipment and a method of making the same can comprise, at a first location, obtaining head data for a customer's head comprising a length, a width, and at least one head contour. With at least one processor, generating a computerized three-dimensional (3D) headform matching the customer's head length, width, and head contour from the head data. The 3D headform can be compared to a safety standard. At a second location different from the first location, the custom-fitted protective sports equipment is formed, wherein the custom-fitted helmet satisfies the safety standard and comprises an inner surface comprising a topography that conforms to the length, width, and at least one contour of the customer's head.
A protective sports equipment to be worn by a player while playing a sports activity, the protective sports equipment comprising:
The protective sports equipment of claim 21, wherein the extent of the helmet safety standard associated with the helmet shell is a certified surface.
The protective sports equipment of claim 22, wherein the certified surface is modeled as either:
The protective sports equipment of claim 23, wherein the certified surface is generated based on analyzing head data collected from a plurality of player's using an electronic handheld device.
The protective sports equipment of claim 21, wherein the energy attenuation layer includes a lattice structure formed using a three dimensional printer.
The protective sports equipment of claim 21, wherein a computer determines whether the player's head does not extend through an extent of a helmet safety standard associated with the helmet shell.
The protective sports equipment of claim 26, wherein the computer determines whether the player's head does not extend through an extent of a helmet safety standard associated with the helmet shell based on a comparison between electronic head data obtained from the player's head using a handheld device and a computerized helmet safety standard.
The protective sports equipment of claim 27, wherein the computerized representation of the player's head is modeled as either:
The protective sports equipment of claim 25, wherein the inner surface of the energy attenuation layer has a topography that conforms to information derived from data collected from a player's head using an electronic device.
A multi-step method of manufacturing a protective sports equipment to be worn by a player while playing a sports activity, the multi-step method comprising the steps of:
The multi-step method of claim 30, further comprising the step of rotating the computerized model of the player's head until a crown extent of the computerized model of the player's head is aligned with a crown extent of the computerized helmet model.
The multi-step method of claim 30, wherein the step of obtaining head data from a player using the electronic handheld device further includes:
The multi-step method of claim 30, wherein the step of obtaining head data from a player using the electronic handheld device includes using a software program installed on the electronic handheld device that guides a person through a process of collecting the head data from the player.
The multi-step method of claim 30, wherein the step of obtaining head data from a player using the electronic handheld device includes using a mechanical measurement device that includes contact probes that make contact with the player's head.
The multi-step method of claim 30, wherein when the computerized model of the player's head does not extend through an extent of a helmet safety standard associated with the computerized helmet model, further comprising the step of selecting a physical helmet shell that corresponds to the computerized helmet model.
The multi-step method of claim 30, further comprising a step of using a three dimensional printer to form a physical energy attenuation layer based upon the computerized model of the player's head.
The multi-step method of claim 30, further comprising a step of forming a physical energy attenuation layer from a plurality of separately formed reconfigurable padding components based upon the computerized model of the player's head and the computerized helmet model.
The multi-step method of claim 37, wherein the physical energy attenuation layer includes an inner surface with a topography that conforms to a surface that is derived from the computerized model of the player's head.
A multi-step method of manufacturing a protective sports equipment to be worn by a player while playing a sports activity, the multi-step method comprising the steps of:
The multi-step method of claim 39, further comprising the steps of aligning a brow region of the computerized model of the player's head with an extent of a brow portion of the selected computerized helmet model.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.