Back to results
US 8,938,818 B2Granted
Sports helmet
AssigneeRiddell, Inc.
InventorsThad M. Ide, Ralph J. Infusino, Nelson Kraemer, Christopher R. P. Withnall, Timothy D. Bayne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeRiddell, Inc.
InventorsThad M. Ide, Ralph J. Infusino, Nelson Kraemer, Christopher R. P. Withnall, Timothy D. Bayne
Estimating the term…
A football helmet includes a plastic shell having an offset band extending around a rear region of the shell and above the lower edge surface of the shell. The offset band includes an offset band wall having an inner band surface offset from an inner shell wall surface, and an outer band surface offset from and outer shell wall surface. A pair of angled transition walls extends between the offset band wall and a rear region of the shell. The shell also includes a raised central band integrally formed as part of the shell and extending across the crown region to the rear region.
A football helmet comprising:
A football helmet comprising:
A football helmet comprising:
A football helmet comprising:
A football helmet comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Cushioning devices: with a padded structure, e.g. foam
Parts, details or accessories of helmets: chin straps or similar retention devices
Linings: cushioning devices
With at least one layer or pad containing a fluid: inflatable
Term ended 1 May 2023 (estimated)
The invention generally relates to a sports helmet, such as a football, lacrosse, hockey or baseball helmet.
Various activities, such as contact sports, and in particular the sport of football, require the use of helmets to attempt to protect participants from injury to their heads due to impact forces that may be sustained during such activities. Various types of helmets have been in use in the sport of football, ever since individuals began wearing helmets to attempt to protect their heads many years ago. Typically, these helmets have included: an outer shell, generally made of an appropriate plastic material, having the requisite strength and durability characteristics to enable them to be used in the sport of football; some type of shock absorbing liner within the shell; a face guard; and a chin protector, or chin strap, that fits snugly about the chin of the wear of the helmet, in order to secure the helmet to the wearer's head, as are all known in the art.
Over the years, various improvements have been made to the various components of a football helmet; however, in general, the overall configuration and shape of a football helmet, has remained the same for many years. In this regard, a typical football helmet has included an ear flap as a part of the shell forming the helmet, and the ear flap generally overlies an ear of the wearer and a portion of a cheek of the wearer; however, the jaw of the wearer typically extends outwardly beyond the outer periphery of the helmet, whereby a majority portion of the jaw of the wearer has only been protected by the chin protector.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a sports helmet showing a face guard of the present invention;
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of another embodiment of a sports helmet showing a face guard of the present invention;
FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the portion of the helmet of FIG. 1A shown within dotted lines 1B;
While the invention will be described in connection with the preferred embodiments shown herein, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to those embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
In FIGS. 1, 1A, and 19, a football helmet 30 in accordance with the present invention is shown to generally include: an outer shell 31, ear flap 32, each ear flap 32 including a jaw flap 33, a chin protector connector 34, a face guard connector 35, and a liner connector (not shown). Outer shell 31 is preferably made of any suitable plastic material having the requisite strength and durability characteristics to function as a football helmet, or other type of protective helmet, such as polycarbonate plastic materials, one of which is known as LEXAN®, as is known in the art. Outer shell 31 has an inner wall surface 37 (FIG. 12) and an outer wall surface 38. Shell 31 further includes a crown region 39, a back (or rear) region 40, a front region 41, a lower edge surface 42, and two side regions 43 (FIGS. 1 and 1A) and 44 (FIG. 19). As is known in the art, and as will be hereinafter described in greater detail, shell 31 is adapted to receive the head 45 of a wearer 46 of the helmet 30, the wearer 46 having a lower jaw 47 (FIG. 19) having two side portions 48 (FIG. 19), only the right side portion 48 of jaw 47 being illustrated. As shown in FIG. 19, the lower jaw 47 terminates generally adjacent to the chin 49 of the wearer's head 45 toward the front of the head 45, and the lower jaw, or mandible 47, generally ends its connection with the upper jaw generally adjacent, and forwardly of ears 50 of wearer 46.
Still with reference to FIGS. 1, 1A and 19, each side region 43, 44 of the shell 31 includes an ear flap 32, the left ear flap 32 being shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A and the right ear flap 32 being illustrated in FIG. 19, and ear flaps 32 are adapted to generally overlie an ear 50 (FIG. 19) and portion of a cheek 52 of the wearer 46. Each ear flap 32 generally extends downwardly from its respective side 43, 44, and in general extends in a direction extending from crown 39 downwardly toward the lower edge surface 42 of shell 31. Each ear flap 32 includes a jaw flap 33, the left hand jaw flaps 33 being illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 1A, and the right jaw flap 33 being illustrated in FIG. 19. Each jaw flap 33 extends from it corresponding ear flap 32 forwardly toward the front 41 of the shell 31, and as seen in FIG. 19 as adapted to generally extend to overlie a side portion 48 of the lower jaw 47 of the wearer 46 of the helmet.