Patent Application
20170056751
This invention relates generally to protective headgear and, in particular, to a head worn article including an ear guard assembly that fulfills hearing and ventilation functions.
The outer ears of wrestlers and athletes involved in other contact sports are subjected to contact of a nature that can cause hemorrhaging and permanent damage (Giffin). As a primary means of protecting against such injury, competitors commonly wear head gear that holds ear guards in place.
Ear guard positioning methods should require low effort with little or no impact to other ear guard functions and the act of wrestling. Furthermore, head gear must remain attached for a contest to continue.
Headgear designs that employ a plurality of individual straps, each attached to ear guards have a long and widespread presence in prior art (Johnson) (Purnell). These ear guards provide a protective enclosed space positioned over each outer ear, and incorporate a method of positioning and limiting slippage of each ear guard. The designs protect the ears from impact, have comfort cushioning, provide air paths for hearing and ventilation, are cleanable, and limit the impact of the headgear on the activity of grappling to varying degrees.
A less developed area of development involves the employment of a one piece (e.g., knit or elastomeric) elastic web (Reese) (Dobbs and Empero). In these examples, appropriately flexible one-piece elastic web type of headgear addresses difficulties of adjustment.
An additional role of headgear is to limit the effect of athlete's hair on competition—the hair of wrestlers must meet a grooming standard (e.g., length and abrasive quality) or a legal hair cover must be worn (National Federation of State High School Associations). This has typically been accomplished through use of a separate covering (e.g., The “Slicker” (Cliff Keen), “Hair Cap” (Matman) or Hair Cover (Brute, Adidas)). To address any difficulties with maintaining the position of these hair covers during contests, hair covers have recently become required by rule (National Federation of State High School Associations) to be attached in some manner to the headgear to maintain their intended position during matches.
To meet requirements as a hair cover, equipment must provide continuous coverage of the hair and hold it in a position that complies with the grooming standard. Headgear with gapless coverage that conceals the hair of the wearer is not very common in prior art (Ihnat) (Dobbs and Empero). Ihnat presents an invention constructed of an elastic material that eliminates fasteners altogether and relies on a seamless elastic cover to adjust and secure the headgear at the chin. The elastic cover has rigid (or semi-rigid) plate/pad assemblies held securely in pockets over the user's ears. The Dobbs, et al. headgear uses a hook and loop fastener closure for adjustment and attachment and a foam ring surrounding the ear of the wearer.
Individual contestants may prefer different levels or qualities of sound while participating in events and it has been stated that some designs in the prior art muffle, attenuate, or reverberate the sound in an objectionable manner. Ear guard assemblies in the prior art address sound include apertures of various shapes, sizes, quantities, and arrangements on the outer portion of the ear guard that result in varied effects on perception of sound level and quality.
It is common practice for sports teams and individuals to bolster support through the application of graphic design (e.g., colors, logos, slogans) on sports equipment. However, the nature in which the decoration can be executed can be limited by the methods chosen to fulfill the hearing, ventilating and material durability functions of the ear guard assembly.
It is recognized that keeping wrestling gear clean may be the most effective means of preventing outbreaks of skin infections (William L. Dienst, Dightman and Dworkin). Therefore it is desireable to minimize effort required to keep the headgear clean.
In broad and general terms, this invention provides an ear guard assembly that fulfills hearing and ventilation functions. The invention reduces adjustment effort to a single buckle at the jaw strap, maintains or improves—hearing and ventilation functions by positioning semi-rigid ear protection elements within the pockets of a breathable, stretchable cap that completely covers a contestant's hair. Encapsulation of the ear guard inserts in the material of the cap makes wearing the headgear more comfortable and protects competitors from contact with headgear straps or hard edges. The construction of the head gear cover enables the use of custom materials and graphics to foster individual and team spirit. The headgear may be disassembled more easily for laundering of the cap and washing of the insert or alternatively may be worn into the shower and cleaned when showering to reduce the build-up of soil and/or infectious biological matter.
One embodiment of the invention incorporated into an improved head gear assembly 1 particularly adapted for a wrestling ear guard is shown pictorially in
Cap 2 includes pockets 6 that are sized to provide only enough positional freedom 24 for the cap 2 and insert 3 to position the insert 3 as is appropriate when jaw strap 4 is adjusted for use by the wearer. The perimeter of the flaps 25 and 26 that create the pocket 6 are attached to the main body of the cap with a stitch 5 that allows the necessary flexibility for cap performance without overstressing the material. The jaw strap 4 adjustment limits the amount that the cap 2 material must stretch to be functional—reducing the requirements placed on the material and increasing freedom for fabric selection. The face band 7 and neck band 27 are formed in such a manner as to be of greater stiffness than the outer surface of the cap 2 so as to more effectively transmit attachment loads and retain the user's hair in space 28. The insert 3 “floats” 24 (
Best seen in
Alternatively, portions of the cap 2 may be omitted to allow added ventilation (if hair covering is not required) and still represent this invention.
Each insert 3 comprises a rigid or semi-rigid structural reinforcement 12, spacer pads 13-16 as best illustrated in
In addition to providing purchase at areas of the wearer's skull and jaw, pads 13-16 create additional paths 20-23 for air to circulate through the insert from a multitude of directions rather than only in and out of the insert along the direction of the wearer's ear canal, providing additional airflow from that found provided in prior art. This modification improves comfort by offering greater opportunity for evaporation of perspiration and allows sound to flow through the headgear from a multitude of directions to improve quality of hearing.
In a preferred embodiment, the inserts 3 are subsequently coated with vinyl 28 in a manner sufficient to smooth any abrupt edges on the structural plate 12 that may have resulted from manufacturing or handling and protect the pads 13-16 from absorbing substances that could encourage growth of biologicals.
The preferred arrangement of components for the jaw strap 4 are shown in
To reduce transmission of communicable skin conditions, the nature of all materials and constructions used are such that the entire headgear may be quickly and easily disassembled for cleaning in the shower following practices or contests.
