Patent ID: 6567993
Filing Date: 2003-05-27
Classification: A41D,A42B,A63B,Y10S

Abstract:
A headband adapted to be worn on the head of a soccer player to protect against injury including a resilient padded portion adapted to ride on that area of the head normally used to head a soccer ball, wherein said padded portion has a surface adapted generally to abut the head, said surface being vertically curved to generally conform to the curvature of the head in the area used for heading a soccer ball, said area including the front of the forehead and extending vertically up to and including the area in proximity to the junction of the forehead and the scalp, said resilient pad being composed of a material which mitigates the effect on impact on the players head and neck while at the same time maintaining adequate rebound of the ball in a way which does not alter game play;the improvement wherein said resilient pad is a molded rubbery elastomeric material having a generally flat or smooth surface on the side adapted to abut the soccer player's head and the opposed face having an open grid structure defined by outwardly projecting patterns of short ribs or patterns of short and midsized ribs with at least some of the intersections of the ribs being defined by outwardly projecting cylinders which are taller than the ribs or, if both types of ribs are present, the cylinders are taller than both the shortest and the midsized ribs.