IP Verse

Protective Sports Helmet

Patent No. US10932514 (titled "Protective Sports Helmet") was filed by Riddell Inc on Dec 3, 2018.

What is this patent about?

’514 is related to the field of sports helmets , specifically football helmets, and aims to improve their protective and comfort characteristics. Traditional helmets often lack sufficient jaw protection, can be difficult to put on and take off without irritating the ears, and may not effectively distribute impact forces. The patent seeks to address these shortcomings by modifying the helmet's shell, padding, face guard attachment, and chin strap design.

The underlying idea behind ’514 is to enhance helmet safety and user experience through several key design modifications. These include extending the ear flaps to provide more jaw protection, incorporating a shock-absorbing face guard connector to better distribute impact forces, and creating ear channels within the padding to ease helmet removal and reduce ear irritation. The design also focuses on improving helmet stability and ventilation.

The claims of ’514 focus on specific structural features of the helmet. Claim 1 emphasizes the arrangement of non-circular vent openings in the crown and side regions, along with an internal pad assembly that doesn't obstruct these vents. Claim 11 highlights a raised central band on the crown region and the positioning of elongated vent openings relative to this band. Claim 20 centers on the alignment of top edges of the first and second non-circular openings in the side regions.

In practice, the helmet's extended ear flaps with integrated jaw flaps provide additional coverage to the wearer's jaw, reducing the risk of injury in that area. The grommet-based face guard connector allows for omnidirectional distribution of impact forces, mitigating the effects of blows to the face guard. The ear channels, formed by strategically placed padding, create a clear path for the ears during helmet removal, minimizing friction and potential irritation.

The helmet differentiates itself from prior designs through its integrated approach to protection and comfort. Unlike traditional helmets with limited jaw protection and potentially irritating ear flaps, ’514 offers enhanced coverage, improved impact force distribution, and a more user-friendly design. The specific arrangement of vent openings and the raised central band further contribute to the helmet's unique structure and functionality, providing both ventilation and structural support.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the early 2000s when ’514 was filed, helmets at a time when helmets typically included an outer shell, a shock-absorbing liner, a face guard, and a chin protector. At this time, the overall configuration and shape of a football helmet had remained largely unchanged for many years, with ear flaps being a standard feature. Conventional helmets often caused irritation to the player's ear due to repeated sliding frictional contact when putting on and taking off the helmet.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The claims were subject to rejections based on anticipation and obviousness over prior art references. Arguments were presented by the applicant, but the examiner considered them moot. A final rejection was issued. Claims 4, 9, 12, 14-18, 30-36 and 41 were objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.

Claims

This patent contains 29 claims, with independent claims 1, 11, and 20. The independent claims generally focus on the structural features of a protective sports helmet, particularly the shell and its openings. The dependent claims elaborate on specific aspects and variations of the helmet described in the independent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
Arrangement of edge segments
(Claim 20)		“In FIGS. 1, 1A, and 19, a football helmet 30 in accordance with the present invention is shown to generally include: an outer shell 31, ear flap 32, each ear flap 32 including a jaw flap 33, a chin protector connector 34, a face guard connector 35, and a liner connector (not shown). Outer shell 31 is preferably made of any suitable plastic material having the requisite strength and durability characteristics to function as a football helmet, or other type of protective helmet, such as polycarbonate plastic materials, one of which is known as LEXAN®, as is known in the art.”The first non-circular opening is defined by a series of edges.
First vent opening distance
(Claim 11)		“In FIGS. 1, 1A, and 19, a football helmet 30 in accordance with the present invention is shown to generally include: an outer shell 31, ear flap 32, each ear flap 32 including a jaw flap 33, a chin protector connector 34, a face guard connector 35, and a liner connector (not shown). Outer shell 31 is preferably made of any suitable plastic material having the requisite strength and durability characteristics to function as a football helmet, or other type of protective helmet, such as polycarbonate plastic materials, one of which is known as LEXAN®, as is known in the art.”The distance between the inner edge of the first vent opening and the first side wall of the raised central band.
Irregular outer periphery
(Claim 1)		“In FIGS. 1, 1A, and 19, a football helmet 30 in accordance with the present invention is shown to generally include: an outer shell 31, ear flap 32, each ear flap 32 including a jaw flap 33, a chin protector connector 34, a face guard connector 35, and a liner connector (not shown). Outer shell 31 is preferably made of any suitable plastic material having the requisite strength and durability characteristics to function as a football helmet, or other type of protective helmet, such as polycarbonate plastic materials, one of which is known as LEXAN®, as is known in the art.”The outer edge of the crown pad has a non-uniform shape, with projections and recesses.
Non-circular opening
(Claim 1, Claim 20)		“In FIGS. 1, 1A, and 19, a football helmet 30 in accordance with the present invention is shown to generally include: an outer shell 31, ear flap 32, each ear flap 32 including a jaw flap 33, a chin protector connector 34, a face guard connector 35, and a liner connector (not shown). Outer shell 31 is preferably made of any suitable plastic material having the requisite strength and durability characteristics to function as a football helmet, or other type of protective helmet, such as polycarbonate plastic materials, one of which is known as LEXAN®, as is known in the art.”An opening in the helmet shell that is not circular in shape.
Raised central band
(Claim 11)		“In FIGS. 1, 1A, and 19, a football helmet 30 in accordance with the present invention is shown to generally include: an outer shell 31, ear flap 32, each ear flap 32 including a jaw flap 33, a chin protector connector 34, a face guard connector 35, and a liner connector (not shown). Outer shell 31 is preferably made of any suitable plastic material having the requisite strength and durability characteristics to function as a football helmet, or other type of protective helmet, such as polycarbonate plastic materials, one of which is known as LEXAN®, as is known in the art.”A band that extends across the crown region of the shell and protrudes outward from the outer surface of the shell.

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US10932514

RIDDELL INC
Application Number
US16208082
Filing Date
Dec 3, 2018
Status
Expired
Expiry Date
May 1, 2023
External Links
Slate, USPTO, Google Patents