Patent ID: 9603408
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: A42B

Claim:
1. A football helmet comprising: a shell having an inner surface facing a wearer, an outer surface facing away from the wearer when the helmet is worn, an opening adapted to be over a face area of the wearer, a crown area and wherein said shell is constructed of epoxy resin including fiber reinforcing material and adapted to receive an athlete's head therein, and wherein said fiber reinforcing material in the crown area is lower than the fiber reinforcing material in areas outside the crown area of said shell; an energy absorbing layer situated adjacent the inner surface of said shell and extending over the crown area of said shell; a liner having an outer surface conforming with the inner surface of said shell and said energy absorbing layer adjacent the inner surface of said shell and an inner surface closely conforming to the head of the wearer, said liner disposed within said shell such that said energy absorbing layer is situated between said liner and said shell in the crown area of said shell, said liner having a substantially uniform thickness and fabricated from expanded polypropylene, said liner including a plurality of uniformly spaced apart polygonal apertures formed in said liner in the area adjacent said energy absorbing layer, and wherein said polygonal apertures extend partially into said liner a predetermined distance that is less than the substantially uniform thickness of said liner; a plurality of fitment pads situated about and attached to the inner surface of said liner for sizing said liner to the head of the wearer; a face mask attached to said shell over the face area of said shell; and wherein said energy absorbing layer has a higher compressive strength than the compressive strength of said liner.