Abstract:
A neck and spine brace device for athletes that allows for a free and natural range of head motion while providing a stabilization link between a helmet and force absorbing body protection. The interlinking brace yields under torsional and multi-load flexation while compression of the helmet loads are transferred under longitudinal force dispersion to shoulder protection pads of the user.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This device relates to helmets, shoulder pads and neck braces that are used in sports to protect the player from injury inducing impacts. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     A variety of prior art safety devices are commonly used for football players that include helmets and body pads. While helmets reduce the direct impact to the player&#39;s head, a great deal of attention has been directed to preventing neck and spinal injuries. Typically, such devices include neck pads or cervical collars that stabilize the head and neck from force inducted movement. Many of the injuries involve compression fractures to the cervical region of the spine when the head is forced downwardly during impact. 
     Prior art devices that have addressed this issue can be seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,900,896, 4,338,685, 5,123,408, 5,546,601 and 6,006,368. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,896 a neck brace can be seen having a rigid fixation bar that is secured to the back of the helmet with a pivot pin extending therefrom which is registerable into a socket secured on the shoulder pads of the player. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,685 a cervical collar is illustrated that attaches to the shoulder pad harness to reduce the neck opening and impede helmet movement and thus reduce injuries thereto. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,408 is directed to a sports helmet brace that provides for a compound bar element movably secured to the outer bracket secured to the top of a sports helmet and then extends to a shoulder engagement harness. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,601 a neck and cervical spine protector device is claimed having a helmet base engagement upper portion and depending shoulder pad engagement legs extending therefrom. 
     A combined helmet and shoulder pad is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,368 wherein a rigid rod extends between an attachment brace on the helmet to a mounting bracket secured to the shoulder pads. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a sports helmet impact stabilization device that provides a flexible force transfer brace capable of selective fluctuation during use. The device of the invention is secured between the base of the sports helmet and preferably the upper edge portion of the shoulder pad and alternately to the backside of the shoulder pad typically used in the football game environment. A compound pad is formed of foam and plastic in parallel adjoining segments that impart flexibility and load impact resistance along its longitudinal axis. The stabilization device is removably secured to the helmet and the shoulder pads for effective force transfer. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partial side elevational view of a sports helmet on a player with the safety brace of the invention positioned thereon illustrating front to back range of motion of the helmet by the broken line arrow; 
     FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view showing the safety brace attached to the helmet and shoulder pads illustrating a side-to-side range of motion of the helmet in broken lines; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the safety brace of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the safety brace of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the safety brace; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the safety brace; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of alternate forms of the safety brace showing respectively in broken, solid lines and dotted lines; 
     FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a football helmet and shoulder pad configuration with the safety brace of the invention positioned thereon; 
     FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the football helmet and shoulder pads with an alternate positioning of alternate safety braces; and 
     FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the football helmet and shoulder pad with an alternate form of the safety brace positioned thereon. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-6 and  8  of the drawings, a neck brace  10  can be seen for use with a sports helmet  11  used by a player  12  shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. The sports helmet  11  is specifically used in football wherein the user&#39;s neck  13  can be subject to high impact forces during play. Players typically wear safety equipment on their body that helps protect them such as shoulder pads  14 . The football helmet  11  has a hard outer shell surface  15  and a foam liner  15 A with a front opening  16 , a back portion  17  and neck opening generally indicated at  18 . The shoulder pads  14  are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings in a general manner having a shoulder overlapping portions  19  and  20 , interconnecting back portions  21 A and  21 B and a foam neck pad  14 A. The neck brace  10  of the invention has a compound structure having a triangular shaped synthetic resin foam portion  22  with an attached support plate  23  as best seen in FIGS. 3-6 of the drawings. The support plate  23  extends from a base portion  24  and tapers upwardly to a conversion point at  25  in spaced relation to a terminal top portion  26  of the triangular foam portion  22 . The support plate  23  is of a generally thin flat configuration made preferably of rigid synthetic resin material. Both the plate  23  and foam  22  have aligned apertures at  27 ,  27 A and  27 B therethrough to afford transverse positioning of respective mounting tie cords  28 ,  29 A and  29 B that extend therethrough. The cord  28  is used to interconnect the neck brace  10  with the lower engaged portion of the helmet  11 . Conversely, the respective cords  29 A and  29 B extend through registering openings O in the shoulder pads  14  as best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Alternately, a swivel snap fastener assembly  30  shown in broken lines in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings can be secured to the foam portion  22  at its convergent point  26  and correspondingly to the lower surface of a foam liner  31  in the helmet  11 . Additional snap fastener assemblies can alternated be positioned at  30 A,  30 B and  30 C as shown. FIG. 4 of the drawings also illustrates a tapered foam surface  34 A defined by broken lines will be described in detail hereinafter as an alternate form of the invention. 
     It will be evident from the above description that the neck brace  10  will allow for unrestricted movement of the helmet  11  in side-to-side, front to back and up and down motions. Additionally, rotational movement of the helmet  11  will be unrestricted by the attachment of the neck brace  10  given the range of motion attachment assembly and the limited torsional rotation of the foam portion  22  that extends beyond the support plate  23  illustrated by rotational arrows  32  in FIG. 5 of the drawings. 
     In use, when the neck brace  10  sustains impact on its longitudinal axis LA, as indicated, the support plate  23  will be engaged and act to transfer and dissipate the impact load to the shoulder pads  14 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 10 of the drawings, alternate forms of the invention can be seen. In FIG. 7 a modified neck brace  33  has a tapered surface  34  of a foam portion  35 , also in FIGS.  4  and  8 - 10  broken lines define tapered surfaces  34 A,  34 B and  34 C. 
     A second alternate form of the invention can be seen and illustrated by broken lines through the foam portion  35  imparting an area of reduced dimension at  36 . A third alternate form of the invention is illustrated in broken lines at  36 A wherein tapered surface  36 B with related support plate  37 A is defined with the hereinbefore described broken line  35 . All of the hereinbefore described forms of the invention may be modified by the extension of the support plate  23  beyond the base portion  24  as seen in broken lines in FIG.  7  and in solid lines in FIG. 10 of the drawings at  37 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 9 of the drawings, alternate forms of the invention are illustrated as alternate support plate  23 A has a return right angular extension  38  for added support by engagement with the shoulder pads  14 . A second alternate support plate  23 B has a secondary return right angular extension  39  from said extension  38  as noted for additional support and alternate mounting forms. The mounting position is illustrated for the neck brace  10  in which the brace  10  is connected to the helmet and then positioned on the outside surface of the shoulder pads  14  by contoured deflection thereon. The brace  10  is secured to the helmet in this example by an alternate attachment fastener in the form of a fastener assembly  30 D having a male portion  30 E on the foam portion  22  and a female  30 F on the helmet  11 . The shoulder pads  14  are secured to the brace in the normal manner as hereinbefore described or alternately by use. 
     It will be apparent that other connecting construction may be used between the brace  10  and the helmet  11  that will allow a significant range of motion therebetween without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth hereabove. 
     It will thus be seen that a new and useful safety neck and spine brace has been illustrated and described and that it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.