Patent Application
20170290386
The disclosure relates to protection assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new protection assembly for protecting the head, neck and shoulders of a user.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pair of shoulder pads. A helmet, which has a bottom edge defining an opening, is reversibly couplable to the shoulder pads. The bottom edge is substantially complementary to an upper surface of the shoulder pads. The helmet is couplable to the shoulder pads such that the helmet is fixedly positioned relative to the shoulder pads. The opening is configured for insertion of the user's head into the helmet. The helmet is positioned to couple to the pair of shoulder pads, such that movement of the helmet relative to the shoulder pads is restricted. The helmet is dimensionally larger than the head and neck of the user, such that the user has full range of movement of the head and neck of within the helmet without the user's head contacting the helmet.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
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
A first interface 26 is coupled to the bottom edge 16 of the helmet 14 and extends over a chest portion 28 of the pair of shoulder pads 12. The first interface 26 is substantially rectangularly shaped. A plurality of first fasteners 30 is coupled to the first interface 26. The plurality of first fasteners 30 comprises first fasteners 30 positioned singly proximate to each corner 32 of the first interface 26. A plurality of second fasteners 34 is coupled to the chest portion 28 of the pair of shoulder pads 12. The second fasteners 34 are complementary to the first fasteners 30. The plurality of second fasteners 34 is numerically equivalent to the plurality of first fasteners 30. Each second fastener 34 is positioned on the first interface 26 such that the second fastener 34 is positioned to couple to an associated first fastener 30 to rigidly couple the helmet 14 to the chest portion 28 of the pair of shoulder pads 12.
A second interface 36 is coupled to the bottom edge 16 of the helmet 14 and extends over a back portion 38 of the pair of shoulder pads 12. The second interface 36 is substantially rectangularly shaped. A plurality of first couplers 40 is coupled to the second interface 36. The plurality of first couplers 40 comprises four first couplers 40 positioned proximate to each edge intersection 42 of the second interface 36. A plurality of second couplers 44 is coupled to the back portion 38 of the pair of shoulder pads 12. The second couplers 44 are complementary to the first couplers 40. The plurality of second couplers 44 is numerically equivalent to the plurality of first couplers 40. Each second coupler 44 is positioned on the second interface 36 such that the second coupler 44 is positioned to couple to an associated first coupler 40 to rigidly couple the helmet 14 to the back portion 38 of the pair of shoulder pads 12.
In one embodiment, each second fastener 34 and the associated first fastener 30 comprises a turn lock 46, and, each second coupler 44 and the associated first coupler 40 comprises a turn lock 46.
A plurality of vents 48 is positioned in the helmet 14. The vents 48 are positioned in the helmet 14 such that the helmet 14 is configured for air to circulate about a head positioned in the helmet 14. Each vent 48 comprises a penetration 50 positioned in the helmet 14. The penetration 50 is circular. Each of a set of four supports 52 extends radially from a center 54 of the penetration 50 to a circumference 56 of the penetration 50. Each support 52 is perpendicular to adjacent supports 52, such that the set of four supports 52 is quadrate cross shaped.
In one embodiment, the plurality of vents 48 comprises a pair of side vents 58 positioned singly in opposing sides 60 of the helmet 14 and a rear vent 62 positioned in the rear face 24 of the helmet 14.
A visor 64 is hingedly coupled to a front face 66 of the helmet 14 and positioned to partially cover an orifice 68 positioned in the front face 66. The visor 64 is coupled proximate to an upper rim 70 of the orifice 68. The visor 64 is arcuate, such that the visor 64 is complementary to the front face 66. The visor 64 is transparent. In another embodiment, the visor 64 is tinted.
A shield 72 is hingedly coupled to the front face 66 of the helmet 14 and positioned to partially cover the orifice 68. The shield 72 is coupled proximate to a lower rim 74 of the orifice 68. The shield 72 is arcuate, such that the shield 72 is complementary to the front face 66. The shield 72 is transparent. The shield 72 and the visor 64 together are complementary to the orifice 68.
A plurality of slots 76 is positioned in the shield 72. Each slot 76 extends horizontally from proximate to a respective opposing side rim 78 of the shield 72 toward a center line 80 of the shield 72. The plurality of slots 76 comprises eight slots 76 distributed equally in two rows 82. Each row 82 is positioned proximate to the respective opposing side rim 78.
A guard 84 is coupled to an exterior 86 of the shield 72. The guard 84 is substantially triangularly shaped when viewed perpendicularly from the shield 72. A pair of crossbeams 88 is positioned in and coupled to the guard 84.
In use, the opening 18 is configured for insertion of the user's head into the helmet 14. The helmet 14 is positioned to couple to the pair of shoulder pads 12. Movement of the helmet 14 relative to the pair of shoulder pads 12 is restricted. The helmet 14 is dimensionally larger than the head and neck of the user. The user has full range of movement of the head and neck of within the helmet 14 without the user's head contacting the helmet 14.
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.
