Not Applicable
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The helmet 12 has an inner surface 22, an outer surface 24 and a perimeter edge 26 extending between the inner surface 22 and the outer surface 24. The perimeter edge 26 has a brow portion 28 extending between a pair of lateral portions 30 and a bottom portion 32 extending between each of the lateral portions 30. Each of the lateral portions 30 is perpendicularly oriented with the brow portion 28 such that the brow portion 28 and the pair of lateral portions 30 define a face opening 34 in the helmet 12 to expose the child’s face 36. Additionally, the bottom portion 32 is perpendicularly oriented with the pair of lateral portions 30, and the bottom portion 32 is continuously arcuate between each of the lateral portions 30 to curve around the child’s neck 38.
Each of the lateral portions 30 angles forwardly between the brow portion 28 and the bottom portion 32 such that each of the lateral portions 30 defines a respective one of a pair of cheek panels 40 of the helmet 12. In this way each of the cheek panels 40 can extend forwardly beyond the child’s mouth 41 when the helmet 12 is worn thereby inhibiting the child’s 16 ability to bite another child. The helmet 12 has a pair of cuts 42 each extending through the inner surface 22 and the outer surface 24. Moreover, each of the cuts 42 extends rearwardly from a respective intersection between the brow portion 28 and the pair of lateral portions 30 such that each of the cuts 42 defines a respective one of the adjustment elements 20.
Each of the cuts 42 is associated with a respective one of the cheek panels 40. Each of the cuts 42 facilitates the respective cheek panel 40 to be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly when the cuts 42 are urged open or closed. In this way the pair of cuts 42 facilitates the cheek panels 40 to be adjusted to accommodate the child’s 16 facial structure. Each of the vents 18 comprises a hole 44 which extends through the inner surface 22 and the outer surface 24. The vents 18 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed in a plurality of rows 46 extending between the brow portion 28 of the perimeter edge 26 and the bottom portion 32 of the perimeter edge 26.
A pair of first mating members 48 is each coupled to the outer surface 24 of the helmet 12. Each of the first mating members 48 is positioned adjacent to a respective one of the cuts 42 in the helmet 12. A pair of second mating members 50 is provided and each of the second mating members 50 has a coupled edge 52 and a bottom surface 54. The coupled edge 52 of each of the second mating members 50 is coupled to the outer surface 24 of the helmet 12. Each of the second mating members 50 is positioned on an opposite side of a respective cut 42 with respect to a respective one of the first mating members 48. Each of the second mating members 50 is foldable over the respective cut 42 such that the bottom surface 54 of each of the second mating members 50 releasably engages the respective first mating member 48 for retaining the cheek panels 40 at a desired degree of adjustment. Each of the first mating members 48 and the second mating members 50 may comprise complementary portions of a hook and loop fastener or other type of releasable, multiple use fastener.
A face bar 56 is coupled to the helmet 12 to extend across the child’s face 36 when the helmet 12 is worn to inhibit the child 16 from biting another child 16. The face bar 56 has a first end 58 and a second end 60, and the face bar 56 is curved between the first end 58 and the second end 60. Each of the first end 58 and the second end 60 is coupled to a respective one of the lateral portions 30 of the perimeter edge 26 of the helmet 12. Furthermore, each of the first end 58 and the second end 60 is positioned adjacent to a respective intersection between the lateral portions 30 and the bottom portion 32 of the perimeter edge 26.
A pair of ears 62 is provided and each of the ears 62 is coupled to and extends outwardly from the helmet 12 to present the ornamental appearance of animal ears. Each of the ears 62 has a bottom edge 64 and a forward surface 66, and the bottom edge 64 is coupled to the outer surface 24 of the helmet 12 having the forward surface 66 being directed forwardly on the helmet 12. Ear indicia 68 are printed on the forward surface 66 and the ear indicia 68 comprise a circle to represent a caricature of the structure of an animal’s ear. Face indicia 70 are printed on the outer surface 24 of the helmet 12 and the face indicia 70 comprises imagery of two eyes, a nose and whiskers to present a caricature of an animal’s face. The face indicia 70 are positioned between the brow portion 28 of the perimeter edge 26 and each of the ears 62.
A chin strap 72 is movably coupled to the helmet 12 such that the chin strap 72 extends beneath the child’s chin 74 when the helmet 12 is worn. The chin strap 72 has a primary end 76 and a secondary end 78, and the chin strap 72 is curved between the primary end 76 and the secondary end 78. Each of the primary end 76 and the secondary end 78 is pivotally coupled to the inner surface 22 of the helmet 12 at a point that is located adjacent to the bottom portion 32 of the perimeter edge 26 of the helmet 12. The chin strap 72 is spaced from an intersection between each of the lateral portions 30 and the bottom portion 32 of the perimeter edge 26 of the helmet 12.
A teething ring 80 is suspended from the face bar 56 such that the teething ring 80 can be chewed by the child 16 for soothing teething pain. The teething ring 80 includes a lanyard 82 which extends away from the teething ring 80. The lanyard 82 has a distal end 84 with respect to the teething ring 80 and the lanyard 82 includes a closed ring 86 that is disposed on the distal end 84. Additionally, the closed ring 86 extends around the face bar 56. The teething ring 80 may be comprised of a resiliently compressible material and the teething ring 80 may be structured to have the ornamental appearance of an animal.
In use, the helmet 12 is positioned on the child’s head 14 and each of the cheek panels 40 is adjusted, if necessary, to ensure the cheek panels 40 extend forwardly beyond the child’s mouth 41. Each of the second mating members 50 is mated to the respective first mating member 48 to retain the cheek panels 40 at the desired location. In this way the child 16 is inhibited from biting other children while the child 16 is wearing the helmet 12. Additionally, the face bar 56 further inhibits the child 16 from biting other children. In this way the health and safety of children in a daycare environment can be maintained with respect to eliminating biting injuries.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
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