Neck roll for helmet

A neck roll of cushion material to be affixed to a helmet or similar protective device to become an integral part thereof, which neck roll stays in the proper position between the shoulders and the bottom edge of the helmet shell regardless of orientation of the head and protects the cervical spine when the head is rotated or is hyperextended or hyperflexed and from the rear edge of the helmet shell.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to a protective neck roll and more particularly to a 
neck roll of cushion material which can be affixed to a conventional 
football helmet or other similar protective device employed by persons 
engaged in body contact activities. 
In body contact sports such as football, lacrosse and ice hockey the 
protection of the player's body from injury is of primary concern but at 
the same time it is highly desirable to permit the player as much freedom 
of movement as possible. For instance, in the game of football, the 
contact forces between players have called for a maximum of protection for 
the player but the freedom of movement of the player must still be given 
primary consideration. Great strides have been made in protecting the 
football player and in particular certain areas of the body more 
susceptible to injury than others. Helmets with interior padding and face 
masks have been developed to protect the head from injury. Shoulder pads 
and rib pads have been employed to protect the upper portion of the body, 
while hip pads and leg guards have been developed to protect the lower 
portions of the body. However, the area of the neck has been relatively 
ignored due probably to the desire for freedom of head movement, a key 
requirement in the game of football. 
Moreover, it has been recognized that successful efforts in helmet design, 
face guards and helmet suspensions have contributed somewhat to the 
alarming increase in neck injuries as a result of the transfer of forces 
applied to the helmet directly onto the neck. For instance, when the 
conventional helmet with its face guard is struck frontally with a blow, 
the helmet pivots rearwardly and the sharp lower edge of the rear of the 
helmet strikes the back of the neck producing severe injuries and on 
occasion fatalities. In addition, forces applied to other areas of the 
helmet must be borne by the neck which in reality is a relatively fragile 
member. For instance, a heavy blow or force applied to the top of the 
helmet results in a severe compressive force on the neck often resulting 
in disastrous injurious results. 
As forces during the game of football are generally applied to the player's 
helmet from any and all directions, the neck is therefore subjected to a 
variety of stresses including compression, flexing, extension, bending, 
torsion and the like. 
In the prior art various types of neck guards have been developed for the 
purpose of protecting the neck but such devices do not become an integral 
part of the helmet and are not completely satisfactory in protecting the 
neck and spine from blows applied to the head. See for example, U.S. Pats. 
Nos. 3,497,872, 3,189,917, 3,514,784, 3,591,863 and 3,242,500. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a primary object of the invention to provide a neck roll for 
attachment to a helmet or similar protective device which combination 
limits hyperextension, lateralflexion and hyperflexion of the cervical 
spine and protects the posterior cervical spine from the rear edge of the 
helmet shell during hyperextension and from external forces, e.g., from 
being kicked or hit with a hand or arm. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved neck roll 
particularly adapted for use by persons engaged in body contact sports. 
It is a further object to provide an improved neck roll which can be 
readily and easily snapped onto most conventional football helmets by 
simply removing the jaw pads and attaching the snap-in neck roll to the 
existing male jaw snaps inside the helmet. 
It is a further object to provide a neck roll which is simple and 
economical to manufacture and is efficient and well suited for its 
intended purpose.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings there is shown in FIG. 1 the head of a player 
wearing a football helmet to which has been affixed the neck roll of the 
present invention. The helmet shown is of conventional design and 
construction, but other similar type helmets may be used with the neck 
roll described and claimed herein. As will be explained herein the neck 
roll becomes an integral part of the helmet and cooperates therewith 
during participation in the game of football by the player, so as to 
protect the neck, spine and associated areas from the severe stresses such 
as blows to the helmet and helmet face commonly encountered during the 
game. 
The helmet 10 is made up of a shell 11 constructed of any suitable rigid 
material such as plastic or the like which conforms generally to the shape 
of the head. The interior of the helmet is provided with suitable padding 
12 such as foam rubber to protect the player's head when force is applied 
to the helmet (FIGS. 3 and 4). The helmet is provided with a frontal 
opening 13 for the player's face across which can be positioned a face 
guard not shown. The guard can be secured on opposite sides of the helmet 
across the face opening 13 by means such as rivets. A chin strap 14 is 
secured at each end to helmet portions 15, 16 which lie over the player's 
ears and the helmet extends downwardly to a position adjacent the level of 
the chin to form a bottom edge 17 extending completely around the helmet 
and terminating adjacent each side of the helmet face opening (FIG. 2). 
The neck roll 18 (FIGS. 5-8) comprises a substantially U-shaped member 
adapted to straddle the player's neck, including a pair of leg sections 19 
and 20, engageable with the upper portions of the player's shoulders 
adjacent the player's neck, and an intermediate connection section 21 
disposable adjacent the back of the player's neck. The neck roll may be 
formed from resilient material, such as foam rubber, in the form of an 
inflatable device, or in the form of a shell the interior of which is 
filled with suitable material or stuffing. Such shell may be of any 
suitable material such as leather, plastic or the like. The outer surface 
may be provided with a soft and smooth impervious coating such as vinyl or 
latex which will prevent chafing or irritation to the skin, and yet will 
not absorb perspiration. 
The neck roll is generally in the form of a tube with an upper planar 
surface on which the bottom edge of the helmet shell will sit when the 
roll is attached to the helmet. The ends of the leg sections 19 and 20 of 
the neck roll are provided with strips 22 which project upward from the 
roll and provide a means to secure the roll to the helmet. Since the 
strips project into the helmet, they are preferably made of the same 
material as the roll to provide a cushion against the face on the inside 
of the helmet (FIG. 3). Such strips have snap fasteners 23 which engage a 
cooperating fastener 24 on each inner surface of the helmet portions 15, 
16. In most conventional football helmets there are male jaw pad snaps 
inside the helmet for attaching jaw pads to the helmet. In such helmets 
the jaw pads can be removed and the neck roll can be snapped into the 
helmet using the male jaw pad snaps inside the helmet. 
When the neck roll is attached to the helmet it stays in the proper 
position regardless of orientation of the head. Injury occurs most often 
when the head is rotated and the head is either hyperextended or 
hyperflexed. The roll of the present invention limits hyperextension, 
lateralflexion and hyperflexion of the cervical spine. Furthermore the 
posterior cervical spine is always protected from the rear edge of the 
helmet during hyperextension and from external forces, such as a kick or a 
hit with a hand or arm. It will thus be evident that the present invention 
provides greater protection than is found in neck protectors or collars 
which are not affixed to the helmet and merely rest on the shoulders of 
the player. Furthermore, the neck roll of the present invention will not 
interfere with any of the head or body movements of the player or with 
other conventional protective equipment such as helmets and shoulder pads. 
Thus, among others, the several aforenoted objects and advantages are most 
effectively attained. Although a somewhat preferred embodiment of the 
invention has been disclosed and described in detail herein, it should be 
understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and its 
scope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.