Patent ID: 9656148
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: A42B,A63B

Claim:
1. A football helmet having a low-profile face guard mounting configuration, 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; left and right side portions extending generally downwardly and laterally from the crown portion, wherein the left and right side portions include an ear flap configured to generally overlie an ear region of a wearer of the helmet, wherein the front portion and the left and right side portions collectively define a frontal opening in the shell, wherein the frontal opening includes opposed peripheral frontal edges; a lower recessed face guard attachment region extending along a lower extent of each opposed peripheral frontal edge, wherein said lower recessed face guard attachment region resides inward of an adjacent outer surface of the shell; and a face guard having a plurality of intersecting elongated members, wherein an extent of an elongated member defines a lower peripheral mounting portion, wherein the face guard has two opposed lower peripheral mounting portions, wherein the lower peripheral mounting portions are secured to the lower recessed face guard attachment regions by lower connector brackets affixed to the lower recessed face guard attachment regions to provide the low-profile face guard mounting configuration, wherein an inner surface of said lower peripheral mounting portion resides inward of said adjacent outer shell surface and an exterior surface of said lower peripheral mounting portion resides radially outward of said adjacent outer shell surface.