Hockey mask

A hockey mask including a grille work for substantially covering the face of a player wearing a helmet to which it is attached. The grille work defines a plurality of apertures sufficiently small to prevent passage of a hockey stick and a larger sized, elongated, curved opening positioned to extend adjacently to the player's eyes and to substantially encompass the player's field of vision. Covering the opening is a curved, flexible, transparent shield formed from a high impact resistant material. The shield is retained in a state of flex corresponding to its normal curvature by receptacles that receive ends of the shield and engage projections thereon that resist movement of the shield out of the receptacles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to a protective face mask and, more 
specifically, to a protective face mask for use by hockey players. 
The sport of hockey subjects its participants to a high risk of head and 
facial injuries. Much of the risk results directly from the implements 
used during play of a game. Specifically, the hard rubber pucks used in 
the game are propelled at extremely high velocities and can produce 
serious injury when striking delicate parts of a body, especially the 
eyes. In addition, although playing rules prohibit the elevation above 
shoulder level of the hardwood sticks used to manipulate and propel the 
pucks, these rules are often violated during the fast and sometimes 
emotional action that is inherent to the sport. Furthermore, skaters 
sometimes lose their footing and fall into positions wherein they are 
susceptible to being struck even by sticks manipulated in accordance with 
the rules. Consequently, serious bodily injuries are frequently caused by 
hockey sticks being swung at high velocity. 
In relatively recent times hockey helmets have been introduced into hockey 
play and their use has spread rapidly particularly with younger 
participants. While significantly reducing the incidence of head injury, 
the use of helmets did not obviate the facial injury problems. This 
problem has been addressed more recently by the introduction of protective 
face masks including both transparent plastic shields and wire cages. 
Although reducing the likelihood of facial injury, prior protective face 
shields have exhibited various drawbacks that either limit their 
effectiveness or render them objectionable to a high percentage of 
players. For example, cages tend to obscure vision which is extremely 
important in such a fast moving sport. Similarly, vision is impaired by 
the tendency of plastic face shields to accumulate condensation (fog-up) 
during certain environmental conditions. In addition, prior masks have not 
been fully protective of the face either because they failed to cover all 
portions thereof or exhibited peripheral openings through which an errant 
puck or stick could reach even those facial areas directly covered by the 
shield. 
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a hockey mask that 
will effectively prevent facial injury while also being functionally 
acceptable to one wearing the mask. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is a hockey mask including a grille work for 
substantially covering the face of a player wearing a helmet to which it 
is attached. The grille work defines a plurality of apertures sufficiently 
small to prevent passage of a hockey stick and a larger sized, elongated, 
curved opening positioned to extend adjacently to the player's eyes and to 
substantially encompass the player's field of vision. Covering the opening 
is a curved, flexible, transparent shield formed from a high impact 
resistant material. The shield is retained in a state of flex 
corresponding to its normal curvature by receptacles that receive ends of 
the shield and engage projections thereon that resist movement of the 
shield out of the receptacles. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, 
the grille work possesses both a horizontal and a vertical curvature that 
conform to the contour of the player's face and thereby limit the size of 
peripheral openings through which either errant sticks or pucks could 
pass. The composite mask fully protects the player's face from injury 
while the transparent shield provides unobscured vision. 
In a featured embodiment of the invention, the projections at the ends of 
the curved shield are deformations therein produced during manufacture. 
The projections are latched into engagement with the receptacles by the 
flexure forces on the shield. Also, the ends of the shield are tabs of 
reduced size that are joined to the remainder of the shield by shoulder 
portions that engage the receptacles to limit movement of the shield 
thereinto. In combination, these structures securely hold the shield in 
position over the elongated opening in the grille work.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the Figs. there is shown a hockey mask 10 of the present 
invention. The mask 10 includes a plurality of wires 11 interconnected 
into a grille work assembly 12. Preferably metal wires are welded together 
at intersecting points and then the entire grille work is coated with a 
suitable plastic. Defined by the wires 11 are a plurality of apertures 13 
that permit the free circulation of air through the mask 10 but are of a 
maximum size that prevents passage of a conventional hockey stick. 
Preferably, the apertures 13 have a maximum rectilinear spacing between 
wires of less than 21/2 inches. 
Secured to the grille work 12 is a mounting plate 15 having a plurality of 
bolt holes 16 for use in attaching the mask to a conventional hockey 
helmet (not shown). Once so attached, the mask is sized and shaped to 
cover substantially the entire face of one wearing the helmet. As 
illustrated in the drawings, the grille work 12 possesses both horizontal 
curvature (FIG. 2) and vertical curvature (FIG. 3). These curvatures tend 
to follow the contour of one wearing the mask 10 and thereby limit the 
openings along its periphery. For this reason the possibility of errantly 
directed pucks or sticks moving into the region behind the worn mask is 
diminished. 
Also defined by the grille work 12 is a horizontally oriented, curved 
opening 17 positioned to extend adjacently to the eyes of one wearing the 
mask and to encompass substantially his entire field of vision. Covering 
the opening 17 is a similarly curved transparent shield 18 preferably 
formed of an unbreakable material such as Lexan plastic. At both ends of 
the shield 18 are tabs 19 formed by shield portions of reduced area. 
Joining the tabs 19 to the remainder of the shield 18 are shoulder 
portions 21. Extending outwardly from each of the tabs 19 are a pair of 
projections 22 produced by deformation of the shield 18. Preferably the 
deformations 22 are produced by a cold forming operation. 
Receiving the tabs 19 are holding receptacles 24 formed by wire loops 25 
secured to the grille work 12 at each end of the opening 17. The loops 25 
extend outwardly from the grille work 12 so as to permit entry of the tabs 
19 and include leg portions 26 that engage the shoulders 21 so as to limit 
movement of the shield 18 into the receptacles 24. Prior to assembly, the 
shields 18 are provided, for example by hot forming, with a normal 
curvature corresponding to the curvature of the opening 17 and illustrated 
by dotted lines in FIG. 3. However, during assembly, the shield 18 is 
flexed to increase the extent of this curvature and allow insertion of the 
tabs 19 into the receptacles 24. The resultant flexure forces bias the 
tabs 19 into engagement with an underside of the wires 25 forming the 
receptacles 24. In that position, any tendency of the tabs 19 to move out 
of the receptacles 24 is resisted by the projections 22 that engage the 
wire loops 25. Thus, the shield is firmly and securely held in place 
against the wires 11 forming the opening 17 in the grille work 12. 
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are 
possible in light of the above teachings. It is to be understood, 
therefore, that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as 
specifically described.