Patent ID: 11910859
Assignee: RIDDELL, INC.
Field: Other consumer goods (Other fields)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A football helmet to be worn by a player while playing football, the helmet comprising:
a one-piece shell including:
a crown portion defining an upper region of the shell;
a front portion extending generally forwardly and downwardly from the crown portion, the front portion including a lower frontal region that extends continuously along the front portion;
left and right side portions extending generally downwardly and laterally from the crown portion, each of the left and right side portions having an ear flap configured to overlie an ear of the player wearing the helmet;
a rear portion extending generally rearwardly and downwardly from the crown portion; and,
means for dynamically varying impact response of the shell when an impact is applied to the shell, wherein said means includes an entire continuous gap formed completely through the shell and above the lower frontal region, said continuous gap having both a substantially vertical gap segment and a substantially horizontal gap segment extending laterally from the vertical gap segment towards one of the left and right side portions of the shell.