Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HELMET WITH CHIN CUP
TECHNICAL FIELD
The application relates generally to protective helmets and, more
particularly, to chin
protection in such helmets.
BACKGROUND OF THE ART
Some protective helmets include a mask protecting the face extending down to
the
chin. It is known to include a chin cup on such masks, made of protective
material
separately from the mask and usually attached in a fixed position within the
mask to
protect the chin.
However, helmets often have the possibility of adjusting their inner size, for
example
through adjustment between a front and rear shell, and accordingly the
position of the
chin cup may become less comfortable for some helmet sizes. Also, optimal
position of
a chin cup may vary between users.
SUMMARY
In one aspect, there is provided a protective helmet comprising: a helmet body
adapted
to cover at least part of a head of a wearer; and a chin cup for receiving a
chin of the
wearer, the chin cup having: a chin cup body defining an inner surface shaped
to
receive the chin and an opposed outer surface, two connecting arms engaged to
the
chin cup body with a respective one of the connecting arms extending from the
chin
cup body adjacent each one of two opposed sides thereof, each connecting arm
being
connected to the helmet body through a connection allowing relative movement
between the connecting arm and the helmet body, and a fastening system
selectively
movable between a first position where the fastening system restrains the
relative
movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body and a second position
where the fastening system frees the relative movement between the connecting
arm
and the helmet body along the connection.
In another aspect, there is provided a protective helmet comprising: a helmet
body
adapted to cover at least part of a head of a wearer; and a chin cup for
receiving a chin
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of the wearer, the chin cup having: a chin cup body defining an inner surface
shaped to
receive the chin and an opposed outer surface, and two connecting arms engaged
to
the chin cup body with a respective one of the connecting arms extending from
the chin
cup body adjacent each one of two opposed sides thereof, each connecting arm
being
slidingly connected to the helmet body; the helmet body further including a
respective
fastening member extending adjacent each connecting arm and movable between a
first position where the fastening member is engaged to the connecting arm and
restrains sliding thereof relative to the helmet body and a second position
where the
fastening member is free of the connecting arm to allow sliding thereof
relative to the
helmet body.
In a further aspect, there is provided a method of adjusting a position of a
chin cup in a
protective helmet, the method comprising: moving a respective padding portion
of the
helmet to disengage the respective padding portion from a connecting arm
extending
from a side of the chin cup; moving the connecting arm along a connection
between the
connecting arm and the body of the helmet; and moving the respective padding
portion
back in engagement with the connecting arm to restrain relative movement
between the
connecting arm and the body of the helmet.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic rear perspective view of a helmet including a chin cup,
in
accordance with a particular embodiment;
Fig. 2 is a schematic bottom view of the helmet of Fig.1;
Fig. 3 is a schematic front view of a chin cup in accordance with a particular
embodiment, which may be used in a helmet such as shown in Figs. 1-2;
Fig. 4 is a schematic rear view of the chin cup of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of part of a helmet in accordance
with a
particular embodiment, showing part of the chin cup with the fastening member
of the
helmet in an engaged position therewith; and
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Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the helmet of Fig. 5, showing
the fastening
member of the helmet in a disengaged position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to Figs. 1-2, a hockey goalie helmet is generally shown at 10.
Although
the helmet 10 is shown and described as a hockey goalie helmet, it is
understood that
the helmet 10 can alternately be any other type of protective helmet,
including but not
limited to a lacrosse helmet, a baseball helmet or a football helmet.
In the embodiment shown, the helmet 10 has a body 11 including a mask 12 and a
back plate 14 which cooperate to surround the head of the wearer. In the
embodiment
shown, the mask 12 is adapted to substantially protect the face as well as a
front
portion of the head of the wearer. The mask 12 thus extends from the top of
the head
of the wearer to below the head to protect the jaw and neck, and rearwardly on
the
sides to cover the ears and rear part of the jaw. The mask 12 includes a
window 16
defined therethrough, with a plurality of protection members 18 extending
across the
window 16 in criss-crossing fashion to prevent entry of foreign objects
therethrough. A
bottom portion 20 of the mask 12, under the window 16, extends over and below
the
chin of the wearer.
The back plate 14 is adapted to substantially cover a rear part of the head of
the
wearer. In the embodiment shown, in use, the back plate 14 extends partly
inwardly of
the mask 12 such as to ensure covering of the head at the junction between the
mask
12 and back plate 14.
In the embodiment shown, the back plate 14 includes an adjustment mechanism 22
comprising adjustment members 24 connected to the back plate 14, and the mask
12
and back plate 14 are interconnected by straps 26 received in the adjustment
members
24. In a particular embodiment, the helmet 10 can be adjusted while on the
head of the
wearer, by releasing one or more straps 26 from the respective adjustment
member 24
such as to allow relative movement therebetween, adjusting the length of the
one or
more straps 26, and re-engaging the respective adjustment member 24. The
straps 26
may be made of an elastic material; with straps having sufficient elasticity,
the
adjustment members 24 may be omitted. The straps 26 may be detachably
connected
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=
to the mask 12, for example through a snap type fastener. Other types of
attachment
may be used.
It is understood that the configuration of the helmet body 11 shown is
provided as an
example only and that any other adequate configuration may alternately be
used. For
example, the mask 12 and back plate 14 may be interconnected through various
types
of connection members and/or the helmet body 11 may cover different areas of
the
head of the wearer than those of the embodiment shown.
In a particular embodiment, the mask 12 includes a rigid shell 28 and a
padding layer
30 (see Fig. 1) secured to its inner surface. The shell 28 can be made of any
type of
adequate material, including but not limited to fiber reinforced materials,
thermoplastics,
and a combination thereof. The inner padding layer 30 can be made of any type
of
appropriate material, including but not limited to expanded foam such as for
example
expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polyethylene (EPE) or expanded
polystyrene
(EPS); fabric; any other adequate polymer; or any other material that may
serve to
absorb and/or limit the effects of a force applied on the helmet and/or
provide comfort
to the wearer.
Still referring to Figs. 1-2, the helmet 10 includes a chin cup 32 which has
an adjustable
position within the bottom portion 20 of the mask 12. The chin cup 32 has a
chin cup
body 34 defining an inner surface 36 (Fig. 1) shaped (e.g. concave if the body
34 is
rigid) and/or deformable to receive the chin of the wearer, and an opposed
outer
surface 38 (Fig. 2). In the embodiment shown, the outer surface 38 is convex;
other
configurations are also possible.
In a particular embodiment, the body 34 of the chin cup 32 includes an outer
layer
made of rigid material, such as an appropriate type of foam, and an inner
layer made of
a different, more flexible material, such as another appropriate type of foam.
Alternately, the body 34 may be made of a single material, and/or may be
provided in
the form of a sling or strap instead of a body having a curved shape as shown.
Examples of materials which may be used include, but are not limited to
appropriate
types of foams (e.g. ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polytethylene (PE),
polyurethane
(PU), expanded polypropylene (EPP), vinyle (VN)); silicone; thermoplastic
polyurethane
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(TPU); leather; high density polyethylene (HDPE); polypropylene (PP); nylon;
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS); or other similar materials.
Referring to Figs. 3-4, the chin cup body 34 defines two opposed side edges
40, and
the chin cup 32 further includes two spaced apart connecting arms 42 which are
engaged to the chin cup body 34 and extend away therefrom. In the embodiment
shown, the connecting arms 42 extend rearwardly away from a respective one of
the
side edges 40, and are angled such that a distance therebetween increases
toward
their free end, to follow the profile of the bottom portion 20 of the mask 12
against
which they are received (see Figs. 1-2).
In the embodiment shown, a same elongated connecting member 44 includes the
two
connecting arms 42 and a central portion 46 (Fig. 3) extending between the two
connecting arms 42. The central portion 46 extends over and is contoured to
follow the
profile of the outer surface 38 of the chin cup body 34. In the embodiment
shown, the
chin cup body 34 and central portion 46 both have aligned ventilation holes 48
defined
therethrough. The chin cup body 34 has a slot 50 defined therethrough adjacent
each
of the two side edges 40, and the connecting member 44 extends through theses
slots
50 such that the connecting arms 42 extend away from the inner side of the
chin cup
body 34. The connecting member 44 is sized to be snugly received in the slots
50, and
the end 52 of each connecting arm 42 extending from the central portion 46
(see Figs.
1 and 4) is contoured to follow the profile of the adjacent inner surface 36
of the chin
cup body 34.
It is understood that the slots 50 may be omitted or configured differently,
and/or the
connecting arms 42 may be otherwise engaged to the chin cup body 34. For
example,
the connecting arms 42 may be provided as separate members independently
connected to the chin cup body 34, for example to the outer surface 38 or the
inner
surface 36 thereof, and attached thereto through any appropriate mechanism
including,
but not limited to, glue, stitching, or an overmolding or co-injection
process.
Referring to Figs. 5-6, the end 54 of each connecting arm 42 extending away
from the
chin cup body 34 is connected to the helmet body 11, in the embodiment shown
to the
bottom portion 20 of the mask shell 28, through a connection which allows
relative
movement between the connecting arm 42 and the helmet body 11. In the
embodiment
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shown, the connection is a sliding connection. A respective pin member 56 has
a shaft
58 extending from the inner surface of the shell 28, and supporting an
enlarged head
60. Each connecting arm 42 includes an elongated slot 62 (see also Figs. 3-4)
defined
longitudinally therethrough, and the slot 62 is sized to slidingly receive the
shaft 58 of
the pin 56 while having smaller cross-sectional dimensions than that of the
head 60, to
prevent the head 60 from passing therethrough. In a particular embodiment, the
pin 56
is detachable from the shell 28 to allow removal of the chin cup 32 from the
helmet 10.
A fastening system is provided for each connecting arm 42, to restrain or
prevent the
relative movement between the connecting arm 42 and the helmet body 11. Each
fastening system thus includes two complementary and detachably connectable
fastening members 64, 66, one of the fastening members 64 being attached to
the
connecting arm 42, and the other fastening member 66 being attached to the
shell 28
or to an element connected thereto.
In the embodiment shown, the padding layer 30 is connected to the shell 28
along a
portion thereof only; the padding layer 30 includes at least one free padding
portion 70
on each side, having a free end 72 movable relative to the shell 28 and
located in
proximity of the respective connecting arm 42. The opposed connected end 74 of
each
free padding portion 70 is retained (whether permanently or removably) to the
shell 28
and/or to another section of the padding layer 30 attached to the shell 28,
and the free
padding portion 70 is free to move about the connected end 74. In a particular
embodiment, the motion is provided through the flexibility of the padding
material.
Alternately, the connection may be provided through a hinge member distinct
from the
material of the padding layer 30. The connection may be removable, such that
the free
padding portion 70 is completely detachable from the helmet body 11.
In the embodiment shown, each connecting arm 42 is at least partially
overlapped by
the respective free padding portion 70. The fastening member 66 of the helmet
body 11
is provided on the surface of the free padding portion 70 facing and
contacting the
connecting arm 42, while the fastening member 64 of the connecting arm 42 is
provided on the surface thereof facing and contacting the free padding portion
70.
Thus, the fastening member 66 of the helmet body 11 is movable between a
position in
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engagement with the connecting arm 42 and a position away from the connecting
arm
42, due to the movement of the free padding portion 70.
In the embodiment shown, the padding layer 30 includes a fixed padding portion
76
adhered to the inner surface of the shell 28 in proximity of the connecting
arm 42, and
the free padding portion 70 is attached to the end of the fixed padding
portion 76
furthest from the connecting arm 42, such that the free padding portion 70
folds over
the fixed padding portion 76, and extends thereover as well as over the
connecting arm
42. The fastening member 66 of the free padding portion 70 also extends to the
part
thereof overlapping the fixed padding portion 76, and the fixed padding
portion is
provided with a complementary fastening member 78 similar to that of the
connecting
arm 42. Accordingly, in the engaged position of Fig. 5, the free padding
portion 70 is
engaged to both the fixed padding portion 76 and the connecting arm 42 through
the
engaged fastening members 66, 78 and 64, 66.
In the embodiment shown, the fastening members 64, 66, 78 are complementary
members of a hook and loop type fastening system such as VelcroTM; as such,
the
contacting surfaces of the connecting arm 42 and of the free padding portion
70 (and, if
applicable, the fixed padding portion 76) are each covered with a respective
one of
hooks and loops, such that the surfaces are detachably connectable to one
another. In
a particular embodiment, the surface of the connecting arm 42 (and of the
fixed
padding portion 76) is covered by the loops for increased comfort, as this
surface is
directed toward the face of the wearer.
In the embodiment shown, the hook/loop material is provided on the connecting
arm 42
around the slot 62 and the free padding portion 70 covers the connection
between the
connecting arm 42 and the mask shell 28, i.e. the pin 56 engaged in the slot
62.
Alternately, the connection between the connecting arm 42 and the mask shell
28 and
the fastening system may be spaced apart from one another.
The fastening member 66 of the helmet body 11 need not be provided on the
padding
layer 30; alternately, it may be attached elsewhere on the helmet body 11, for
example
on the shell 28, and the location of the complementary fastening member 64 on
the
connecting arm 42 is accordingly selected such that the two members 64, 66 may
be
connected. Alternate types of fastening systems which may be used between each
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connecting arm 42 and the helmet body 11, whether provided on the padding
layer 30
or elsewhere on the helmet body 11 include, but are not limited to, a
fastening system
also providing the movable/sliding connection between the connecting arm 42
and
helmet body 11, such as a screw/nut engagement which may be slidingly received
in a
slot defined through the connecting arm 42 and/or the helmet body 11 and
selectively
tightened to prevent sliding; a screw/cam engagement; or a teeth/slot
engagement; or
other fastening systems distinct from the movable/sliding connection between
the
connecting arm 42 and helmet body 11, such as complementary fabric fastening
members having a different configuration that hook and loops (e.g. mushroom
shaped);
a snap engagements with a plurality of studs in the connecting arm 42 and/or
the
helmet body to define multiple engagement positions; or a pin/hole engagement
with a
plurality of pins and/or holes defined in the connecting arm 42 and/or the
helmet body
to define multiple engagement positions (similar to the fastening system at
the rear of a
baseball cap).
In a particular embodiment, and referring back to Figs. 1-2, an optional
additional
fastening system for the chin cup 32 in a direction transverse to that
provided by the
connecting arms 42 is provided. A strap 80 extends transversely to the
connecting
arms 42 and interconnects the chin cup body 34, for example along its outer
surface
38, to the bottom portion 20 of the mask 12, with the strap 80 being
detachably
engaged to the chin cup body 34 to define an adjustable length between the
chin cup
body 34 and mask 12. The additional fastening system thus includes
complementary
and detachably interconnectable fastening members 82, 84: one member 82 (see
also
Fig. 3) is attached to the outer surface 38 of the chin cup body 34 and the
other
member 84 is attached to the end of the strap 80 extending away from the mask
12. In
a particular embodiment, the additional fastening members 82, 84 are also
complementary patches of hook and loop fasteners. The height and/or angle of
the chin
cup 32 may thus be adjusted by detaching the strap 80, and re-engaging the
strap 80
when the chin cup 32 is at the desired position.
Referring to Fig. 3, in the embodiment shown, the central portion 46 of the
connecting
member 44 defining the connecting arms 42 extends over the fastening member 82
of
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the body's outer surface 38, such as to cover the strap 80 connected thereto.
Other
configurations are also possible.
In the embodiment shown, the chin cup body 34, connecting arms 42 and
fastening
systems are completely concealed inside the helmet 10 when the helmet 10 is
worn, at
least for some positions of the chin cup body 34 within the helmet 10. In a
particular
embodiment, the chin cup body 34 may be visible below the shell 28 at its
lowest
position within the helmet 10.
In a particular embodiment, the adjustable attachment of the chin cup 32 to
the helmet
body 11 allows for increased overall adjustability of the helmet 10 for the
wearer. In a
particular embodiment, the position of the chin cup 32 may be easily adjusted
as
required. In a particular embodiment, the free padding portion 70 overlaying
the
connection between the connecting arms 42 and the helmet body 11 provides for
increase comfort by preventing the connection from contacting the face of the
wearer.
The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled in the
art will
recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described without
departing
from the scope of the invention disclosed. Modifications which fall within the
scope of
the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light
of a review of
this disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fall within the
appended claims.
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