Abstract:
A protective helmet including a chin cup with a body and two opposed connecting arms, each connecting arm being connected to the helmet body through a connection allowing relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body. A fastening system is selectively movable between a first position where the fastening system restrains the relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body and a second position where the fastening system frees the relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body along the connection. A method of adjusting a position of a chin cup in a protective helmet is also disclosed.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The application relates generally to protective helmets and, more particularly, to chin protection in such helmets. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE ART 
       [0002]    Some protective helmets include a mask protecting the face extending down to the chin. It is known to include a chin cup on such masks, made of protective material separately from the mask and usually attached in a fixed position within the mask to protect the chin. 
         [0003]    However, helmets often have the possibility of adjusting their inner size, for example through adjustment between a front and rear shell, and accordingly the position of the chin cup may become less comfortable for some helmet sizes. Also, optimal position of a chin cup may vary between users. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    In one aspect, there is provided a protective helmet comprising: a helmet body adapted to cover at least part of a head of a wearer; and a chin cup for receiving a chin of the wearer, the chin cup having: a chin cup body defining an inner surface shaped to receive the chin and an opposed outer surface, two connecting arms engaged to the chin cup body with a respective one of the connecting arms extending from the chin cup body adjacent each one of two opposed sides thereof, each connecting arm being connected to the helmet body through a connection allowing relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body, and a fastening system selectively movable between a first position where the fastening system restrains the relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body and a second position where the fastening system frees the relative movement between the connecting arm and the helmet body along the connection. 
         [0005]    In another aspect, there is provided a protective helmet comprising: a helmet body adapted to cover at least part of a head of a wearer; and a chin cup for receiving a chin of the wearer, the chin cup having: a chin cup body defining an inner surface shaped to receive the chin and an opposed outer surface, and two connecting arms engaged to the chin cup body with a respective one of the connecting arms extending from the chin cup body adjacent each one of two opposed sides thereof, each connecting arm being slidingly connected to the helmet body; the helmet body further including a respective fastening member extending adjacent each connecting arm and movable between a first position where the fastening member is engaged to the connecting arm and restrains sliding thereof relative to the helmet body and a second position where the fastening member is free of the connecting arm to allow sliding thereof relative to the helmet body. 
         [0006]    In a further aspect, there is provided a method of adjusting a position of a chin cup in a protective helmet, the method comprising: moving a respective padding portion of the helmet to disengage the respective padding portion from a connecting arm extending from a side of the chin cup; moving the connecting arm along a connection between the connecting arm and the body of the helmet; and moving the respective padding portion back in engagement with the connecting arm to restrain relative movement between the connecting arm and the body of the helmet. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Reference is now made to the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a schematic rear perspective view of a helmet including a chin cup, in accordance with a particular embodiment; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a schematic bottom view of the helmet of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a schematic front view of a chin cup in accordance with a particular embodiment, which may be used in a helmet such as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a schematic rear view of the chin cup of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional view of part of a helmet in accordance with a particular embodiment, showing part of the chin cup with the fastening member of the helmet in an engaged position therewith; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the helmet of  FIG. 5 , showing the fastening member of the helmet in a disengaged position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-2 , a hockey goalie helmet is generally shown at  10 . Although the helmet  10  is shown and described as a hockey goalie helmet, it is understood that the helmet  10  can alternately be any other type of protective helmet, including but not limited to a lacrosse helmet, a baseball helmet or a football helmet. 
         [0015]    In the embodiment shown, the helmet  10  has a body  11  including a mask  12  and a back plate  14  which cooperate to surround the head of the wearer. In the embodiment shown, the mask  12  is adapted to substantially protect the face as well as a front portion of the head of the wearer. The mask  12  thus extends from the top of the head of the wearer to below the head to protect the jaw and neck, and rearwardly on the sides to cover the ears and rear part of the jaw. The mask  12  includes a window  16  defined therethrough, with a plurality of protection members  18  extending across the window  16  in criss-crossing fashion to prevent entry of foreign objects therethrough. A bottom portion  20  of the mask  12 , under the window  16 , extends over and below the chin of the wearer. 
         [0016]    The back plate  14  is adapted to substantially cover a rear part of the head of the wearer. In the embodiment shown, in use, the back plate  14  extends partly inwardly of the mask  12  such as to ensure covering of the head at the junction between the mask  12  and back plate  14 . 
         [0017]    In the embodiment shown, the back plate  14  includes an adjustment mechanism  22  comprising adjustment members  24  connected to the back plate  14 , and the mask  12  and back plate  14  are interconnected by straps  26  received in the adjustment members  24 . In a particular embodiment, the helmet  10  can be adjusted while on the head of the wearer, by releasing one or more straps  26  from the respective adjustment member  24  such as to allow relative movement therebetween, adjusting the length of the one or more straps  26 , and re-engaging the respective adjustment member  24 . The straps  26  may be made of an elastic material; with straps having sufficient elasticity, the adjustment members  24  may be omitted. The straps  26  may be detachably connected to the mask  12 , for example through a snap type fastener. Other types of attachment may be used. 
         [0018]    It is understood that the configuration of the helmet body  11  shown is provided as an example only and that any other adequate configuration may alternately be used. For example, the mask  12  and back plate  14  may be interconnected through various types of connection members and/or the helmet body  11  may cover different areas of the head of the wearer than those of the embodiment shown. 
         [0019]    In a particular embodiment, the mask  12  includes a rigid shell  28  and a padding layer  30  (see  FIG. 1 ) secured to its inner surface. The shell  28  can be made of any type of adequate material, including but not limited to fiber reinforced materials, thermoplastics, and a combination thereof. The inner padding layer  30  can be made of any type of appropriate material, including but not limited to expanded foam such as for example expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polyethylene (EPE) or expanded polystyrene (EPS); fabric; any other adequate polymer; or any other material that may serve to absorb and/or limit the effects of a force applied on the helmet and/or provide comfort to the wearer. 
         [0020]    Still referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the helmet  10  includes a chin cup  32  which has an adjustable position within the bottom portion  20  of the mask  12 . The chin cup  32  has a chin cup body  34  defining an inner surface  36  ( FIG. 1 ) shaped (e.g. concave if the body  34  is rigid) and/or deformable to receive the chin of the wearer, and an opposed outer surface  38  ( FIG. 2 ). In the embodiment shown, the outer surface  38  is convex; other configurations are also possible. 
         [0021]    In a particular embodiment, the body  34  of the chin cup  32  includes an outer layer made of rigid material, such as an appropriate type of foam, and an inner layer made of a different, more flexible material, such as another appropriate type of foam. Alternately, the body  34  may be made of a single material, and/or may be provided in the form of a sling or strap instead of a body having a curved shape as shown. Examples of materials which may be used include, but are not limited to appropriate types of foams (e.g. ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polytethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU), expanded polypropylene (EPP), vinyle (VN)); silicone; thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); leather; high density polyethylene (HDPE); polypropylene (PP); nylon; acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS); or other similar materials. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-4 , the chin cup body  34  defines two opposed side edges  40 , and the chin cup  32  further includes two spaced apart connecting arms  42  which are engaged to the chin cup body  34  and extend away therefrom. In the embodiment shown, the connecting arms  42  extend rearwardly away from a respective one of the side edges  40 , and are angled such that a distance therebetween increases toward their free end, to follow the profile of the bottom portion  20  of the mask  12  against which they are received (see  FIGS. 1-2 ). 
         [0023]    In the embodiment shown, a same elongated connecting member  44  includes the two connecting arms  42  and a central portion  46  ( FIG. 3 ) extending between the two connecting arms  42 . The central portion  46  extends over and is contoured to follow the profile of the outer surface  38  of the chin cup body  34 . In the embodiment shown, the chin cup body  34  and central portion  46  both have aligned ventilation holes  48  defined therethrough. The chin cup body  34  has a slot  50  defined therethrough adjacent each of the two side edges  40 , and the connecting member  44  extends through theses slots  50  such that the connecting arms  42  extend away from the inner side of the chin cup body  34 . The connecting member  44  is sized to be snugly received in the slots  50 , and the end  52  of each connecting arm  42  extending from the central portion  46  (see  FIGS. 1 and 4 ) is contoured to follow the profile of the adjacent inner surface  36  of the chin cup body  34 . 
         [0024]    It is understood that the slots  50  may be omitted or configured differently, and/or the connecting arms  42  may be otherwise engaged to the chin cup body  34 . For example, the connecting arms  42  may be provided as separate members independently connected to the chin cup body  34 , for example to the outer surface  38  or the inner surface  36  thereof, and attached thereto through any appropriate mechanism including, but not limited to, glue, stitching, or an overmolding or co-injection process. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 5-6 , the end  54  of each connecting arm  42  extending away from the chin cup body  34  is connected to the helmet body  11 , in the embodiment shown to the bottom portion  20  of the mask shell  28 , through a connection which allows relative movement between the connecting arm  42  and the helmet body  11 . In the embodiment shown, the connection is a sliding connection. A respective pin member  56  has a shaft  58  extending from the inner surface of the shell  28 , and supporting an enlarged head  60 . Each connecting arm  42  includes an elongated slot  62  (see also  FIGS. 3-4 ) defined longitudinally therethrough, and the slot  62  is sized to slidingly receive the shaft  58  of the pin  56  while having smaller cross-sectional dimensions than that of the head  60 , to prevent the head  60  from passing therethrough. In a particular embodiment, the pin  56  is detachable from the shell  28  to allow removal of the chin cup  32  from the helmet  10 . 
         [0026]    A fastening system is provided for each connecting arm  42 , to restrain or prevent the relative movement between the connecting arm  42  and the helmet body  11 . Each fastening system thus includes two complementary and detachably connectable fastening members  64 ,  66 , one of the fastening members  64  being attached to the connecting arm  42 , and the other fastening member  66  being attached to the shell  28  or to an element connected thereto. 
         [0027]    In the embodiment shown, the padding layer  30  is connected to the shell  28  along a portion thereof only; the padding layer  30  includes at least one free padding portion  70  on each side, having a free end  72  movable relative to the shell  28  and located in proximity of the respective connecting arm  42 . The opposed connected end  74  of each free padding portion  70  is retained (whether permanently or removably) to the shell  28  and/or to another section of the padding layer  30  attached to the shell  28 , and the free padding portion  70  is free to move about the connected end  74 . In a particular embodiment, the motion is provided through the flexibility of the padding material. Alternately, the connection may be provided through a hinge member distinct from the material of the padding layer  30 . The connection may be removable, such that the free padding portion  70  is completely detachable from the helmet body  11 . 
         [0028]    In the embodiment shown, each connecting arm  42  is at least partially overlapped by the respective free padding portion  70 . The fastening member  66  of the helmet body  11  is provided on the surface of the free padding portion  70  facing and contacting the connecting arm  42 , while the fastening member  64  of the connecting arm  42  is provided on the surface thereof facing and contacting the free padding portion  70 . Thus, the fastening member  66  of the helmet body  11  is movable between a position in engagement with the connecting arm  42  and a position away from the connecting arm  42 , due to the movement of the free padding portion  70 . 
         [0029]    In the embodiment shown, the padding layer  30  includes a fixed padding portion  76  adhered to the inner surface of the shell  28  in proximity of the connecting arm  42 , and the free padding portion  70  is attached to the end of the fixed padding portion  76  furthest from the connecting arm  42 , such that the free padding portion  70  folds over the fixed padding portion  76 , and extends thereover as well as over the connecting arm  42 . The fastening member  66  of the free padding portion  70  also extends to the part thereof overlapping the fixed padding portion  76 , and the fixed padding portion is provided with a complementary fastening member  78  similar to that of the connecting arm  42 . Accordingly, in the engaged position of  FIG. 5 , the free padding portion  70  is engaged to both the fixed padding portion  76  and the connecting arm  42  through the engaged fastening members  66 ,  78  and  64 ,  66 . 
         [0030]    In the embodiment shown, the fastening members  64 ,  66 ,  78  are complementary members of a hook and loop type fastening system such as Velcro™; as such, the contacting surfaces of the connecting arm  42  and of the free padding portion  70  (and, if applicable, the fixed padding portion  76 ) are each covered with a respective one of hooks and loops, such that the surfaces are detachably connectable to one another. In a particular embodiment, the surface of the connecting arm  42  (and of the fixed padding portion  76 ) is covered by the loops for increased comfort, as this surface is directed toward the face of the wearer. 
         [0031]    In the embodiment shown, the hook/loop material is provided on the connecting arm  42  around the slot  62  and the free padding portion  70  covers the connection between the connecting arm  42  and the mask shell  28 , i.e. the pin  56  engaged in the slot  62 . Alternately, the connection between the connecting arm  42  and the mask shell  28  and the fastening system may be spaced apart from one another. 
         [0032]    The fastening member  66  of the helmet body  11  need not be provided on the padding layer  30 ; alternately, it may be attached elsewhere on the helmet body  11 , for example on the shell  28 , and the location of the complementary fastening member  64  on the connecting arm  42  is accordingly selected such that the two members  64 ,  66  may be connected. Alternate types of fastening systems which may be used between each connecting arm  42  and the helmet body  11 , whether provided on the padding layer  30  or elsewhere on the helmet body  11  include, but are not limited to, a fastening system also providing the movable/sliding connection between the connecting arm  42  and helmet body  11 , such as a screw/nut engagement which may be slidingly received in a slot defined through the connecting arm  42  and/or the helmet body  11  and selectively tightened to prevent sliding; a screw/cam engagement; or a teeth/slot engagement; or other fastening systems distinct from the movable/sliding connection between the connecting arm  42  and helmet body  11 , such as complementary fabric fastening members having a different configuration that hook and loops (e.g. mushroom shaped); a snap engagements with a plurality of studs in the connecting arm  42  and/or the helmet body to define multiple engagement positions; or a pin/hole engagement with a plurality of pins and/or holes defined in the connecting arm  42  and/or the helmet body to define multiple engagement positions (similar to the fastening system at the rear of a baseball cap). 
         [0033]    In a particular embodiment, and referring back to  FIGS. 1-2 , an optional additional fastening system for the chin cup  32  in a direction transverse to that provided by the connecting arms  42  is provided. A strap  80  extends transversely to the connecting arms  42  and interconnects the chin cup body  34 , for example along its outer surface  38 , to the bottom portion  20  of the mask  12 , with the strap  80  being detachably engaged to the chin cup body  34  to define an adjustable length between the chin cup body  34  and mask  12 . The additional fastening system thus includes complementary and detachably interconnectable fastening members  82 ,  84 : one member  82  (see also  FIG. 3 ) is attached to the outer surface  38  of the chin cup body  34  and the other member  84  is attached to the end of the strap  80  extending away from the mask  12 . In a particular embodiment, the additional fastening members  82 ,  84  are also complementary patches of hook and loop fasteners. The height and/or angle of the chin cup  32  may thus be adjusted by detaching the strap  80 , and re-engaging the strap  80  when the chin cup  32  is at the desired position. 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , in the embodiment shown, the central portion  46  of the connecting member  44  defining the connecting arms  42  extends over the fastening member  82  of the body&#39;s outer surface  38 , such as to cover the strap  80  connected thereto. Other configurations are also possible. 
         [0035]    In the embodiment shown, the chin cup body  34 , connecting arms  42  and fastening systems are completely concealed inside the helmet  10  when the helmet  10  is worn, at least for some positions of the chin cup body  34  within the helmet  10 . In a particular embodiment, the chin cup body  34  may be visible below the shell  28  at its lowest position within the helmet  10 . 
         [0036]    In a particular embodiment, the adjustable attachment of the chin cup  32  to the helmet body  11  allows for increased overall adjustability of the helmet  10  for the wearer. In a particular embodiment, the position of the chin cup  32  may be easily adjusted as required. In a particular embodiment, the free padding portion  70  overlaying the connection between the connecting arms  42  and the helmet body  11  provides for increase comfort by preventing the connection from contacting the face of the wearer. 
         [0037]    The above description is meant to be exemplary only, and one skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed. Modifications which fall within the scope of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in light of a review of this disclosure, and such modifications are intended to fall within the appended claims.