Helmet Jaw Guard

Abstract

A jaw protection panel or guard is formed with a shape that includes a body that is symmetrical in one or more different lines or planes of the body. This symmetry enables the guard to be secured to either side of a helmet in order to provide enhanced protection to the side of the jaw and face of the wearer of the helmet without the need for multiple guards configured for exclusive use on one side of the helmet.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates to helmets worn while playing sports and more particularly to an extension mountable to the helmet for protection of the mouth and jaw of the wearer of the helmet.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

While playing various sports, it is necessary for an individual to wear a helmet in order to protect the head of the individual. In certain sports involving the throwing of a projectile or ball towards the player, such as baseball and softball, among others, historically the helmet has provided protection to the top of the head of the wearer, but without significant protection to the sides of the head in order to enable the wearer an unobstructed field of vision from either side of the helmet.

In order to provide enhanced protection to the sides of the head of the wearer, improvements to these types of helmets have been made. One example of these improvements is found in Crow U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,694, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. This reference discloses a facial protector for a batting helmet that includes a protective panel connected to the helmet at one end and extending outwardly from the helmet to provide the protection to the face and jaw of the individual.

While providing a level of enhanced protection to the wearer of the helmet, one significant shortcoming of the prior art panel and other similar devices is that the flap is formed that allows it to be secured to only one side of the helmet. As such, in situations where it is desired to provide protection to the opposite or both sides of a helmet, it is necessary to have two mirror image panels that are configured to conform and be connected to opposite sides of the helmet.

Accordingly, the prior art does not satisfy the needs and solutions required for devices of this type, such that it is desirable to develop a jaw protection panel or guard that can be secured to either side of the helmet, negating the need for pairs of protection panel designs.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to one aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, a jaw protection panel or guard is formed with a shape that is symmetrical in one or more different planes. This symmetry enables the guard to be secured in the same manner to either side of a helmet in order to provide enhanced protection to either side of the jaw and face of the wearer of the helmet, as desired.

According to another aspect of an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the jaw protection panel or guard includes an indexing feature disposed thereon that enables the guard to be properly aligned with either side of the helmet for proper and secure connection to the helmet.

Numerous additional aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be made apparent from the following detailed description taken together with the drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings illustrate the best mode of practicing the present disclosure.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a rear isometric view of a helmet including a jaw guard according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of the helmet including the jaw guard of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the jaw guard of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the jaw guard of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the jaw guard of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the jaw guard of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference now to the drawing figures in which like reference numbers represent like features throughout the application, a helmet is indicated generally at 10 in FIG. 1. The helmet 10 includes a shell 12 that covers the top of the head of a wearer, and side portion 14 that extends downwardly from the shell 12 to cover the rear and part of the opposed sides of the head of the wearer. The shell 12 and the side portion 14 define a forward opening 16 within which the face of the wearer is positioned to enable the wearer to see out of the helmet 10 without obstructing the peripheral view of the wearer. Above the opening 16, the shell 12 additionally includes a brim or visor 18 that extends outwardly from the shell 12 over the opening 16. Optionally, though not shown in the figures, the shell 12 can have a mask or shield attached to and depending from the visor 18. Also, while not shown in the illustrated exemplary embodiments, the interior surface 19 of the shell 12 and side portion 14 of the helmet 10 can include any desired cushioning or padding (not shown) in order to enable the helmet 10 to fit more comfortable and/or stably on the head of the wearer. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the parts of the helmet 10, namely the shell 12, side portion 14 and visor 18 are each integrally formed with one another from any suitable material, such as an impact-resistant plastic material, but may also be independently formed and subsequently secured to one another as desired.

As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ends 20, 22 of the side portion 14 disposed on either side of the opening 16 each include an ear flap 24 that extends outwardly from the side portion 14 below the visor 18. The flaps 24 each include an aperture 26 aligned directly over the ear of the wearer when the helmet 10 is properly positioned on the wearer such that the flaps 24 provide protection over the ears while allowing sound to readily reach the ears of the wearer through the apertures 26.

In order to provide added protection to the side(s) of the head of the wearer, a jaw guard 28 is secured to one or both of the flaps 24 of the helmet 10. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-6, the guard 28 is formed with an elongate body 30, which in the illustrated exemplary embodiment has a slight convex curvature in general conformance with the curvature of the side portion 14 of the helmet 10. The guard 28 includes a wide end 32 and a narrow end 34 at opposed ends of the elongate, curved body 30. In order to enable the guard 28 to be secured to either side of the helmet 10 such that the body 30 is positioned to curve along the contour of the face of the wearer, the body 30 is formed with a symmetrical shape along at least one axis of the guard 28. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3-6, the guard 28 has an axis of symmetry along the long axis 36 of the guard 28. As such, the halves of the guard 28 disposed on either side of the long axis 36 are mirror images of one another.

In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the body 30 can be formed without any curvature, and with the opposed sides of the guard 28 are formed as mirror images of one another with a planar configuration similar to that shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the guard 28 is symmetrical along the line of symmetry identified by the long axis 36 and along a plane of symmetry extending from the wide end 32 to the narrow end 34 along the center of the body 30.

In still a further alternative exemplary embodiment, the body 30 can be formed with the wide end 32 and narrow end 34 formed as mirror images of one another, such that the body 30 is symmetrical along at least a short axis 37 (FIG. 6) of the body 30. In this embodiment, the wide end 32 and the narrow end 34 are reversible with either the wide end 32 or the narrow end 34 being attachable to the ear flap 24.

In addition, the guard 28 can be formed with any combination of the above-recited symmetries, including symmetry along the line of symmetry defined by the long axis 36, symmetry along the line of symmetry defined by the short axis 37, and/or symmetry defined along the planes of symmetry extending along the center of the body 30 from the wide end 32 to the narrow end 34 that can be parallel and/or perpendicular to the long axis 36.

In the illustrated exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 3-6, the wide end 32 of the guard 28 is additionally formed with a number of apertures 38. These apertures 38 are positioned on the wide end 32 to be symmetrical with respect to the long axis 36 of the guard 28, and as shown in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, with at least one of the apertures 38 centered on the long axis 36. In other alternative exemplary embodiments, the apertures 38 can be disposed only along the long axis 36, completely off of the long axis 36 or in any desired configuration for the apertures 38 where any number or all of the apertures 38 in the guard 28 are utilized to enable attachment of the guard 28 to the helmet 10. Further, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment of MS. 3-6, the disposition of the apertures 38 on the guard 28 forms an isosceles triangle that is bisected by the long axis 36 of the guard 28.

In an exemplary alternative embodiment, the apertures 38 can be formed in one or both of the wide end 32 and the narrow end 34, depending upon the degree and/or number of lines and/or planes of symmetry present in the body 30 of the guard 28. Further, different combinations of the apertures 38 can be utilized to secure the body 30 to the flaps 24 on opposed sides of the helmet 10, such as some, all or none of the apertures 38 present in the body 30 and utilized to engage the guard 28 to one ear flap 24 also being used to engage the guard 28 to the opposed ear flap 24.

Looking now at FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the wide end 32 additionally includes an alignment tab 40. In the exemplary illustrated embodiment, the tab 40 extends perpendicularly with respect to the long axis 36 and is formed with dimensions complementary to those of the apertures 26 formed in the ear flaps 24. In this manner, the tab 40 on the guard 28 can be placed within and engaged with one of the apertures 26 to align the guard 28 with the selected ear flap 24, thereby properly locating the apertures 38 in the guard 28 with complementary bores 42 formed in the flaps 28. The bores 42 are formed in the ear flaps 24 in a configuration that mirrors the configuration of the apertures 38 in the guard 28. In this position, suitable fasteners (not shown) can be inserted through the guard 28 via the apertures 38 into engagement with the bores 42 to secure the guard 28 to the flap 24. With regard to the types of fasteners that can be utilized, the fasteners utilized can be engaged with or without the use of tools, and can include, but are not limited to, screws, magnetic clamps, press fit male/female connectors, press-turn connectors and hinged clamps, among others.

In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the tab 40 is formed as a generally planar member extending inwardly from the body 30 towards the ear flap 24 and having a width slightly less than the width of the aperture 38 to enable proper engagement of the tab 40 with the interior of the aperture 38.

In an exemplary alternative configuration, the tab 40 can be formed to extend outward from the body 30, particularly when the body 30 is formed to have symmetry along the plane of symmetry define along the center of the body 30 between the wide end 32 and the narrow end 34.

In another exemplary alternative configuration, the tab 40 can be generally U-shaped so as to extend through the aperture 38 and engage the interior surface 19 of the helmet 10 immediately adjacent the aperture 38. In another alternative configuration, the tab 40 can include one or more securing arms (not shown) extending outwardly from the tab 40 opposite the body 30. The arms are inserted into the aperture 38 along with the tab 40 and are engaged with the ear flap 24 by rotating the guard 28 to move the tab 40 and the arm(s) into the aligned position within the aperture 38. The arms allow the guard 28 to slide with respect to the aperture 38 to enable adjustment of the position of the guard 28 relative to the bores 42, but prevent movement of the guard 28 out of the aperture 38 without first rotating the guard 28 within the aperture 38.

Referring now to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the guard 28 also includes channels 44, 46, 48 on an interior surface 50 of the body 30 through which each of the apertures 38 extend that have varying thicknesses relative to the body 30 of the guard 28 on which they are positioned. The thicknesses of the channels 44-48 provides the body 30 of the guard 28 with an interior surface 50 that conforms in curvature to the exterior curvature of the ear flap 24. The differences in the thicknesses of the channels 44-48, and in particular the thicker center channel 46, enables the wide end 32 of the guard 28 to be disposed on either flap 24 of the helmet 10 in symmetrical positions that are mirror images of one another on either side of the helmet 10.

With the symmetrical configuration of the guard 28, the guard 28 can be readily secured to either flap 24 of the helmet 10, negating the need for guards of different designs for placement on opposed sides of the helmet 10, as in prior art guard configurations.

Various other alternatives are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.

Claims

1. A method for attaching a jaw guard to a helmet, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a jaw guard comprising a body having line symmetry along at least one dimension of the body; andb) securing the jaw guard to one side of the helmet.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the jaw guard includes a number of apertures formed therein and spaced from one another, and wherein the line of symmetry is positioned between the number of apertures.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the line of symmetry bisects the number of apertures.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the helmet includes at least one ear flap including a number of bores defined therein, and wherein the step of securing the jaw guard comprises: a) aligning the apertures with the number of bores in the ear flap; andb) engaging the body with the ear flap.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of aligning the apertures with the number of bores comprises positioning the line of symmetry of the body between the bores in the ear flap.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the line of symmetry bisects the bores when the apertures are aligned with the bores.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the helmet includes a pair of ear flaps disposed on opposed sides of the helmet, each ear flap including a number of bores defined therein, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of: a) disengaging the jaw guard from the ear flap on one side of the helmet; andb) securing the jaw guard to an ear flap on the opposite side of the helmet.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of securing the jaw guard to the ear flap on the opposite side of the helmet comprises a) aligning the apertures with the number of bores in the ear flap; andb) engaging the body with the ear flap.