Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to protective headgear,
and more particularly to chin straps for such headgear.
A various assortment of protective headgear or helmets
has been proposed in the past for protecting the wearer's head in
the event of a collision. Such helmets have been widely utilized
by participants in a number of sports, where the possibility of
head injury is great, such as football, hockey, and baseball, and
for other purposes, such as crash helmets. Of course, it is
necessary to retain the headgear at the proper position on the
wearer's head during use, in order to minimize the possibility
that the wearer may be injured when struck. Chin straps have been
provided for this purpose, and generally include a chin cup posi-
tioned against the wearer's chin and one or more straps extending
from the chin cup to the headgear in order to retain the headgear
in place on the wearer. A chin strap has been proposed which
utilizes two straps which cross at spaced points in the region
of the chin cup for the purpose of stabilizing the helmet on the
wearer's head. However, it has been found that this arrangement
of straps does not properly distribute forces against the chin,
and particularly the front part of the chin where the forces are
directly applied from the helmet against the chin through the
straps. Additionally, it is desirable to provide a chin strap
which affords maximum comfort to the wearer during use of the
helmet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A principal feature of the present invention is the pro-
vision of a chin strap for protective headgear which provides
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improved comfort to the wearer's chin.
The chin strap of the present invention comprises, an
elongated first strap having means for attaching opposed end por-
tions of the first strap to the headgear. The chin strap has a
second strap having opposed ends connected to the first strap at
spaced first and second points in a central portion of the first
strap, with the first and second straps being spaced from each
other intermediate the connecting points. The chin strap has a
third strap having one end connected to the first strap at a
third point intermediate the first and second connecting points
and adjacent the first connecting point, and having means for
attaching the other end portion of the third strap to the head-
gear. The chin strap has a fourth strap having one end connected
to the first strap at a fourth point intermediate the first and
second connecting points and adjacent the second connecting point,
and having means for connecting the other end portion of the
fourth strap to the headgear. The chin strap also has a chin cup
extending between the spaced portions of the first and second
straps.
A feature of the present invention is that forces applied
to the third and fourth straps are not directly applied to the
; second strap, and the forces are distributed through the first
strap and the chin cup in order to prevent excessive forces being
applied to the second strap and the wearer's chin during use of
the helmet.
Thus, a feature of the present invention is that the
chin strap prevents the application of excessive forces against
the wearer's chin in the region of the second strap, and against
the front part of the chin where the second strap is preferably
located during use of the headgear.
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Another feature of the invention is that the chin strap
provides additional comfort to the wearer's chin during use of the
headgear.
Yet another feature of the invention is that the third
and fourth straps tend to open the chin cup when forces are applied
to these straps rather than causing the second strap to bind
against the wearer's chin.
Still another feature of the invention is that in a pre-
ferred form the chin cup comprises a single sheet of flexible
material, and the third and fourth straps extend from a location
inside the sheet through slits in the sheet.
Another feature of the invention is that the sheet has
an inverted seam adjacent an outer edge of the second strap defin-
ing an enlargement to provide a better fit for the wearer's chin.
Thus, a feature of the invention is that the chin cup
provides a relatively smooth conforming surface for additional
comfort to the wearer's chin during use.
A feature of the invention is that in an alternative
embodiment the straps which connect the chin cup to the headgear
are attached to straps in the cup at locations spaced from ends
of the cup straps to provide an improved distribution of forces
in the cup.
Further features will become more fully apparent in the
following description of the embodiments of this invention and
from the appended claims.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a protective helmet
or headgear having a chin strap of the present invention;
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Fig. 2 is a fraamentary view of the helmet of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary inside plan view of the chin
strap of Fig. l;
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary outside plan view of the chin
strap of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a plan view of a sheet of flexible material
for use in constructing a chin cup for the chin strap of Fig. l;
Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the sheet of Fig. 5 during
a stage of construction of the chin cup;
Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the sheet of Fig. 5 show-
ing the chin cup in a stage of construction prior to insertion of
straps;
Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of straps for the chin
strap of the present invention;
Fig. 9 i8 a fragmentary plan view of the chin strap dur-
ing a further stage of construction;
Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken substantially as indi-
cated along the line 10-10 of Fig. 9;
Fig. 11 is a fragmentary plan view showing another stage
in the construction of the chin strap of the present invention;
and
Fig. 12 is a fragmentary inside plan view of another
embodiment of the chin strap of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown a protective
helmet generally designated 20 having a chin strap generally desig-
nated 22. Although the helmet 20 is shown in the form of a foot-
ball helmet, it will be understood that the chin strap may be
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utilized in connection with any other suitable headgear, such as
hockey helmets, baseball helmets, crash helmets, or other headgear
where protection of a head is desired. As shown, the helmet 20
has an outer shell 24 which is preferably made of a relatively
rigid material, such as polycarbonate alloy, a rigid thermoplastic,
or a thermosetting resin. The shell 24 has an upper central por-
tion 23, a front portion 25, a rear portion 26, a lower front
edge 28, a lower rear edge 30, and a pair of ear protectors 32.
With reference to Figs. 1, 3, and 4, the chin strap 22
has an elongated first inelastic strap 34 having a pair of slid-
ing fasteners 36 on opposed outer end portions 38 of the first
strap 34 for attaching the first strap 34 to the helmet 20. The
chin strap 22 has a chin cup 40, as will be further described
below, and a second inelastic strap 42 inside the cup 40 and
having opposed ends 44 connected to the first strap 34 at spaced
first and second points 46 and 48, respectively, in a central por-
tion of the first strap 34. As shown, the first and second straps
34 and 42 are spaced from each other intermediate the connecting
points 46 and 48. The chin strap 22 has a third strap 50 having
one end 52 connected to the first strap 34 at a third point 54
intermediate the first and second connecting points 46 and 48
and adjacent the first connecting point 46. The third strap 50
has a sliding fastener 56 for attaching the other end portion 58
of the third strap 50 to the headgear or helmet 20. The chin
strap also has a fourth inelastic strap 60 having one end 62 con-
nected to the first strap 34 at a fourth point 64 intermediate
the first and second connecting points 46 and 48 and adjacent the
second connecting point 48. The fourth strap has a sliding
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fastener 66 on the other end portion 68 of the fourth strap 60
for attaching the fourth strap 60 to the headgear 20. As shown,
the chin cup 40 extends between the spaced portions of the first
and second straps 34 and 42, respectively.
With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the fasteners of the
straps may be attached to the headgear in the following manner.
As shown in Fig. 2, the helmet 20 has a plurality of outwardly
projecting male snap elements 70, and the associated fasteners on
the straps have cooperating female portions which may be releas-
ably attached to the elements 70. Referring to Fig. 1, the first
strap 34 has its two end portions 38 secured by the fasteners 36
on opposed forward parts of the helmet ear protectors 32. Also,
the third and fourth inelastic straps 50 and 60 have their respec-
tive end portions attached to a rearward part of the ear protec-
tors 32 on opposed sides of the helmet. Of course, the length of
the straps between the respective fasteners and the chin cup may
be suitably adjusted by movement of the straps in the fasteners.
The first strap 34 and rearwardly located third and fourth straps
50 and 60 stabilize the helmet on the wearer's head during use,
and, as will be seen below, the forces applied to the third and
fourth straps are distributed through the chin cup 40.
The structure of the chin strap will be more fully
understood by a description of the manner in which it is con-
structed. As shown in Fig. 5, the chin cup comprises a sheet 72
of flexible material, such as a poromeric polyvinyl chloride mate-
rial defining a soft porous outer surface 74 of the sheet 72 and
having a reinforcement backing of woven material on an inner sur-
face 76 of the sheet 72, e.g., a material sold under the trademark
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PORON by Roaers Corporation. As shown, the sheet 72 has a pair
of opposed edges 78, a plurality of cutouts 80 extending from
opposed sides 81 of the sheet 72, and a pair of spaced slits 82
along a fold line 84 extending between the sides 81 of the sheet
S 72. With reference to Fig. 6, the opposed edges 78 of the sheet
72 are folded together with the inner surface 76 of the sheet 72
f*çing outwardly from the folded sheet, and the edges 78 are
secured together by suitable means, such as by a line 86 of
stitching forming a seam 88 in the sheet 72. Next, with refer-
ence to Fig. 7, the sewn sheet 72 is inverted such that its outersurface 74 faces outwardly from the inverted sheet, and the seam
88 is inverted and directed inwardly from the inverted sheet. In
a preferred form, as shown, the edges 78 of the inverted seam 88
are directed toward an outer fold line 90 of the sheet 72, and
the sheet 72 has a fold line 92 adjacent the seam 88 defining an
enlarged portion 94 of the sheet 72 intermediate the fold lines
90 and 92 for a purpose which will be described below. Although
for convenience the cutouts 80 and slits 82 are shown in the
sheet 72 of Fig. 5, it will be understood that the cutouts and
slits may be made at any appropriate stage during fabrication,
such as after inverting the sheet into the configuration of Fig. 7.
Next, with reference to Fig. 8, the first strap 34,
second strap 42, third strap 50, and fourth strap 60 are cut to
length, and the third and fourth straps 50 and 60 are attached
to the central portion of the first strap 34 at the third and
fourth connecting points 54 and 64 by suitable means, such as by
respective lines 96 and 98 of stitching. With reference to Figs.
8-10, the first strap 34 and connected third and fourth straps
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50 and 60 are passed inside the folded sheet 72 or chin cup 40 of
Fig. 7, and the third and fourth straps 50 and 60 are passed
through the slits 82 in the fold line 84, such that the third and
fourth straps 50 and 60 extend from the first strap 34 through
the slits 82 to the outside of the sheet with an outer edge 100
of the first strap 34 being located adjacent the outer fold line
84 of the folded sheet 72. Also, the second strap 42 is passed
inside the folded sheet 72 of Fig. 7, with an outer edge 102 of
the second strap 42 being located adjacent the fold line 90 of the
sheet. As shown in Fig. 9, the spaced cutouts 80 on each side 81
are aligned to provide opposed cutouts at each side of the folded
sheet 72. At this time, the sheet 72 may be secured to the first
strap 34 by a line 104 of stitching and to the second strap 42 by
a line 106 of stitching, and the sheet 72 may be secured together
around the cutouts 80 by suitable lines 108 of stitching.
In this configuration, with reference to Figs.9 and 10,
the sheet 72 is secured to the first and second straps 34 and 42,
the third and fourth straps 50 and 60 extend from the first strap
34 through the slits 82 in the sheet 72, and the enlarged portion
94 of the sheet 72 is directed outwardly from an inner surface 110
of the chin cup 40. Also, as shown in Fig. 10, the edges 78 of
the inverted seam 88 are directed toward and are generally aligned
with the outer edge 102 of the second strap 42. With reference to
Figs. 3 and 11, the outer opposed ends of the covered second strap
42 are drawn toward the spaced first and second points 46 and 48
of the first strap 34, and the second strap 42 is connected to the
first strap 34 by suitable lines 112 of stitching. Also, as
shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the sheet 72 may be attached to the third
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and fourth straps 50 and 60 by suitable lines 114 of stitching.
In the constructed configuration of the chin strap 40 illustrated
in Figs. 3 and 4, the second strap 42 and the central portion of
the first strap 34, as well as the connecting points of the first,
third, and fourth straps 34, 50, and 60, respectively, are covered
by the flexible sheet 72 in order to provide a smooth comfortable
inner surface 110 of the chin cup 40 and an aesthetically pleas-
inq appearance of the cup. In addition, the enlarged sheet por-
tion 94 overlying the inner surface of the second strap 42 is
received in the recess above the front part of the wearer's chin,
and provides a close fit between the chin and enlarged portion
with smooth rounded edges for improved comfort to the wearer's
chin during use of the helmet. Further, the smooth folded edge
84 of the cup 40 defined by the sheet 72 provides a smooth edge
to prevent cutting by the first strap 34 into the wearer's chin
during use.
With reference to Figs. 1, 3, and 4, when forces are
applied to the third and fourth straps 50 and 60 during use of
the helmet, the forces are applied directly to the first strap 34
at locations between the first and second connecting points 46
and 48, rather than directly to the second strap 42. In this man-
ner, the applied forces tend to separate the cup at the third and
fourth connecting points 54 and 64, and are distributed through a
central part 116 of the cup sheet 72 and the first strap 34 prior
to indirect application to the second strap 42. Thus, such
forces are not applied directly to the second strap 42 which
would otherwise cause application of excessive forces on the
front part of the wearer's chin, and the chin strap of the present
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invention minimizes the possibility of harm to the wearer while
providing improved comfort to the wearer's chin.
Another embodiment of the present invention is illus-
trated in Fig. 12, in which like reference numerals designate
like parts. For convenience, only one side portion of the cup is
shown, although it will be understood that the remaining portion
of the cup is substantially s y etrical to the illustrated part.
In this embodiment, the first strap 34 only extends the width of
the chin cup 40, and the first strap 34 and second strap 42 have
opposed ends connected together at spaced first and second connect-
ing points, e.g., 46, in a manner as previously described. As
before, the third and fourth straps, e.g., 50, are connected to
the first strap 34 at spaced third and fourth connecting points,
e.g., 54, intermediate the first and second connecting points and
adjacent the respective first and second connecting points. In
this embodiment, the chin strap 40 has fifth and sixth inelastic
straps, e.g., 118, connected to ends of the second strap 42 in a
manner similar to that described in connection with the first,
third, and fourth straps. Thus, the fifth and sixth straps are
connected to the second strap 42 at spaced fifth and sixth points,
e.g., 120, intermediate the first and second connecting points of
the first and second straps and adjacent the respective first and
second connecting points. As shown, the fifth and sixth straps
118 extend from the second strap 42 through aopropriate slits,
e.g., 122, in the sheet 72, in a manner as previously described
in connection with the slits 82 for the third and fourth straps.
Thus, when forces are applied to the fifth and sixth straps 118,
the forces are applied to the second strap 42, rather than directly
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against the first strap 34. In this manner, such applied forces
are distributed through the sheet 72 and second strap 42, and are
indirectly applied to the first strap 34 from the second strap 42,
in order to prevent the application of excessive forces through
the first strap 34 against the lower part of the wearer's chin.
Thus, when forces are applied to the third, fourth, fifth, and
sixth straps during use of the helmet, the forces tend to separate
the ch;n cup 40, rather than causing excessive pressure against
the front and lower parts of the wearer's chin.
The foregoing detailed description is given for clear-
ness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should
be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to
those skilled in the art.
