초록 ▼

A helmet, such as for equestrian sports, includes an outer shell formed by an upper dome and a lower ring attached to a bottom edge of the upper dome by screws. The assembled arrangement is particularly strong but is adapted to facilitate molding and further has a traditional equestrian helmet appea

A helmet, such as for equestrian sports, includes an outer shell formed by an upper dome and a lower ring attached to a bottom edge of the upper dome by screws. The assembled arrangement is particularly strong but is adapted to facilitate molding and further has a traditional equestrian helmet appearance. A removable faceguard includes legs shaped to upwardly fit into downwardly-open cavities formed within the ring, and includes latches pivoted to the legs for snap-attachment to lateral surfaces within the cavities. The latches are made of a material optimized for durability and resiliency, and are preferably of a material different than the faceguard itself.

대표청구항 ▼

The embodiment for which a privilege or property right is claimed includes: 1. A protective helmet comprising: impact-resistant outer helmet shell shaped and adapted to partially cover a wearer's head, the shell having an upper dome with a lower edge and having a separate lower rim with an upper su

The embodiment for which a privilege or property right is claimed includes: 1. A protective helmet comprising: impact-resistant outer helmet shell shaped and adapted to partially cover a wearer's head, the shell having an upper dome with a lower edge and having a separate lower rim with an upper surface that mates against the lower edge, the rim being attached to the upper dome, wherein the rim includes cavity-forming marginal material on each side defining a pair of cavities and further defining a downwardly-open access opening adapted to receive and support an upwardly-extending leg of a faceguard. 2. The helmet defined in claim 1, including a securement securing the rim to the upper dome, the securement including one of mechanical fasteners, latches, adhesive bonding material, melted bonding material, and heat-staked material. 3. The helmet defined in claim 2, wherein the securement includes a mechanical fastener. 4. The helmet defined in claim 3, wherein the mechanical fastener includes a screw. 5. The helmet defined in claim 4, wherein the dome includes an apertured boss aligned with an aperture in the rim for receiving the screw. 6. The helmet defined in claim 1, wherein the dome includes air-flow apertures formed therein to provide for air flow, the apertures being formed in the dome above the rim. 7. The helmet defined in claim 1, including a faceguard having upwardly-extending legs shaped to matably fit into the access opening and be supported in the pair of cavities. 8. The helmet defined in claim 1, wherein the rim includes an outer wall that lies generally flush with an outer surface of the dome, and further includes an inner wall spaced inwardly from the outer wall, and still further includes a lower wall connecting the inner and outer walls to define a space therebetween. 9. The helmet defined in claim 1, wherein the rim includes a bill extending forwardly from the rim and integrally formed with the rim. 10. The helmet defined in claim 1, including a tape extending along a joint line formed at an interface of the dome and rim, the tape covering the joint line and assisting in bonding the dome and rim together. 11. The helmet defined in claim 1, wherein the rim is a one-piece molding. 12. The helmet defined in claim 1, wherein the rim is an injection-molded component formed with top and bottom surfaces not having undercuts, such that the rim can be made from a die that characteristically does not have slides or pulls or moving die components required to form undercuts. 13. The helmet defined in claim 1, including an energy absorber positioned within the dome and an attachment strap attached to the shell and that is adapted to releasably retain the shell to a wearer's head. 14. The helmet defined in claim 1, wherein one of the rim and dome include an integrally formed bill. 15. The helmet defined in claim 1, including a bill with a rear edge attached to one of the rim and dome. 16. A protective helmet comprising: an impact-resistant outer helmet shell shaped and adapted to partially cover a wearer's head, the shell having an upper dome with a lower edge and having a separate lower rim with an upper surface that mates against the lower edge, the rim being attached to the upper dome; including an energy absorber positioned within the dome and an attachment strap attached to the shell and that is adapted to releasably retain the shell to a wearer's head; and an anchor attached to the shell, and wherein the attachment strap includes a rear strap section that extends slidably around the anchor and back onto itself, the rear strap section including mating patches of hook-and-loop material that can be released and reattached in an adjusted position with the rear strap section repositioned on the anchor to adjust the attachment strap relative to the shell. 17. A protective helmet comprising: an impact-resistant outer helmet shell shaped and adapted to partially cover a wearer's head, the shell having an upper dome with a lower edge and having a separate lower rim with an upper surface that mates against the lower edge; and fasteners extending vertically engaging against and attaching the rim to the upper dome. 18. The helmet defined in claim 17, including a faceguard with upwardly-extending legs shaped to attach to the rim. 19. The helmet defined in claim 18, the faceguard including a first connector on each of the legs and at least one of the dome and rim include mating connectors for engaging the first connector to retain the legs to the helmet. 20. The helmet defined in claim 19, wherein the first connector includes a securing device attached to each of the legs. 21. The helmet defined in claim 20, wherein the first connector is made of a material having high durability and spring-back characteristics. 22. The helmet defined in claim 21, wherein the first connector is made of a different material than the faceguard. 23. The helmet defined in claim 19, wherein the faceguard includes a cross bar extending between a lower end of the legs, the cross bar and legs forming a shape adapted to extend downwardly from the lower rim and then forwardly and then across a wearer's head at a height approximating the location of the wearer's chin and cheeks. 24. A protective helmet comprising: an impact-resistant outer helmet shell shaped and adapted to partially cover a wearer's head, the shell having an upper dome with a lower edge and having a separate lower rim with an upper surface that mates against the lower edge, the rim being attached to the upper dome, including a faceguard with upwardly-extending legs shaped to attach to the rim, the faceguard including a first connector on each of the legs and at least one of the dome and rim include mating connectors for engaging the first connector to retain the legs to the helmet, wherein the mating connector includes an access opening in the rim and also a blind surface formed in the rim adjacent the access opening. 25. The helmet defined in claim 24, wherein the first connector includes a latch member shaped to releasably engage the blind surface. 26. The helmet defined in claim 25, wherein the latch member includes a spring biasing the latch member into engagement with the blind surface. 27. The helmet defined in claim 26, wherein the spring is integrally formed on the latch member. 28. A protective helmet comprising: an impact-resistant outer helmet shell shaped and adapted to partially cover a wearer's head, the shell having an upper dome with a lower edge and having a separate lower rim with an upper surface that mates against the lower edge, the rim being attached to the upper dome, wherein the rim includes an outer wall that lies generally flush with an outer surface of the dome, and further includes an inner wall spaced inwardly from the outer wall, and still further includes a lower wall connecting the inner and outer walls to define a space therebetween, including a shock absorber positioned within the dome and including at least a portion that fits into the space defined within the rim. 29. A protective helmet comprising: an impact-resistant outer helmet shell shaped and adapted to partially cover a wearer's head, the shell having an upper dome with a lower edge and having a separate lower curvilinear structural member with an upper surface that mates against the lower edge, and including fasteners extending vertically engaging against and attaching the structural member to the upper dome, the structural member extending at least completely across a rear of the shell and at least about halfway forward on each side of the shell. 30. A protective helmet comprising: an impact-resistant outer helmet shell shaped and adapted to partially cover a wearer's head, the outer helmet shell having a marginal section of material forming a lower perimeter around the helmet shell and further having a horizontally extending rod retainer extending horizontally and that is spaced above the marginal section of material forming the lower perimeter; an impact-absorbing foam material positioned within the outer helmet shell and that at least partially covers the rod-shaped retainer; and an adjustable suspension positioned within the helmet shell and adapted to engage the wearer's head for supporting the helmet shell on the wearer's head while the protective helmet is being worn, the suspension having at least one front strap attached to the helmet shell and having an adjustable strap that extends over the rod retainer and then back to a location within the helmet shell that is accessible; the adjustable strap having overlapping mating hook-and-loop patches that can be released and adjusted, whereby the adjustable strap can be released, pulled, and reattached to adjust the suspension. 31. A faceguard for a protective helmet that is useful when attached to the helmet to help protect a person's chin and head from injury, the faceguard comprising: an elongated curvilinear component having a transverse section and rearwardly-extending side sections in a U-shaped arrangement that is adapted to extend in front of the person's face, the component including attachment legs that extend upwardly from opposing ends of the side sections; and a latch member on each of the opposing ends of the side sections, the latch members each being made of a material different from the component and including hinges attaching the latch members to the opposing ends for movement between a latched position and a latch-released position. 32. The faceguard defined in claim 31, wherein the hinges include a pivot pin pivotally attaching the latch members to the opposing ends of the component. 33. The faceguard defined in claim 31, wherein the latch members each include an integrally formed spring.