Abstract:
A helmet for protecting the head of a wearer during sporting activities, comprising a protective shell, vents formed in the protective shell, and a shutter plate positioned within the protective shell. The shutter plate has apertures conforming in dimension and position to the vent openings so that that the apertures are in substantial alignment with the vents when the shutter plate is in a first position. The shutter plate is selectively moveable so that the vents are opened or closed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of protective apparel, and more particularly, to helmets for outdoor sporting activities.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Helmets and other forms of protective headgear have become increasingly popular in recent years as users have become more aware and concerned about preventing head injuries while participating in individual and team sporting events. Numerous forms of special helmets have been developed for wear in a wide range of indoor and outdoor sporting activities.  
           [0003]    While the helmets developed for some activities are compact and intended to protect the more vulnerable areas of the head and neck, others cover a more substantial portion of a user&#39;s head. For example, helmets for motorcyclists tend to be expansive and cover not only the head, but often comprise a faceshield to protect the wearer from debris and flying objects that may be encountered at driving speeds. Because these helmets cover substantially the entire head and neck of the wearer, the interiors of these helmets tend to become uncomfortably warm, especially in warm weather. This often leads to fogging of the faceshield as condensation builds inside the helmet. To combat this problem, vents have been incorporated into some helmet constructions to intake, circulate, and discharge air. This, of course, is possible since forced ventilation is ensured by the velocity of incoming air due to the speed of driving. As such, these vents often are located on the front facial portions of the helmets. Although such a configuration is somewhat effective in ventilating the facial area, it does not provide ventilation to the crown of the wearer&#39;s head.  
           [0004]    In sports such as snowboarding and skiing, ventilation measures for the head heretofore have not been highly effective. One known helmet construction incorporates small apertures around the headband region for some air exchange and evaporation of perspiration, but lacks any effective ventilation provision for the top of the head. As is well known, the top, or crown, of the head is where the average person radiates the greatest amount of body heat.  
           [0005]    What is needed is a helmet for outdoor sports such as snowboarding and skiing that provides an effective ventilation construction and that allows a wearer to maximize, limit, or eliminate air flow to the top of the head. Further, a helmet construction is desired that will allow a user to regulate easily the degree of ventilation for the range of anticipated conditions; e.g., restricting or eliminating ventilation in extremely cold weather or when snow or rain are likely to get into the top of the helmet, or maximizing ventilation in warmer weather.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention is directed to a simple, yet versatile, helmet construction that not only provides protection to the head, but that also permits the wearer to maximize, limit, or shut off ventilation to the crown, or dome, of the helmet.  
           [0007]    In one embodiment, the helmet comprises a protective outer ventilating shell, a liner, a ventilating shutter plate, a shutter plate positioning mechanism and an adjustable strap arrangement. The protective outer ventilating shell is a relatively thin, lightweight, impact-dispersing and puncture-resistant plastic. The shell is contoured upwardly around the facial area and downwardly adjacent the neck area. A shock-absorbing liner is disposed within the inner surface area of the outer protective shell. The liner is formed of an injection molded expanded plastic or styrene material.  
           [0008]    A plurality of spaced-apart vents are formed through the outer protective shell and the shock-absorbing liner. The vents, which are elliptically-shaped in one embodiment, are located at spaced intervals in both the front and rear portions of the shell and liner construction. This orientation of vents, often in conjunction with interior channels, facilitates air flow from the front to the rear of the helmet.  
           [0009]    The ventilating shutter plate is rotably mounted within a recess in the shock-absorbing liner. In one preferred embodiment, the ventilating shutter is a relatively thin, circular, durable plastic construction. It may be either dome-shaped to correspond to the contour of the helmet, or may be planar. The ventilating shutter plate also has a pattern of spaced-apart apertures formed therethrough. These apertures conform in dimension and position to the vents in the outer protective shell and liner so that they are in substantial registration with one another when the shutter plate is rotated to a first position. The shutter plate is selectively moveable between at least two positions, i.e., a first position where the apertures register with the vents so that the vents are completely open, and a second position wherein the apertures are completely misaligned with the vent openings and the vent openings are completely closed, or blocked, by the shutter plate.  
           [0010]    To hold the shutter plate in position within the liner, a liner plate is provided. The liner plate, which is formed of the same material as the liner, is dimensioned to fit within the recess in the liner so that the smooth contour of the total liner is maintained. The liner plate also has slots that correspond in dimension and placement to the vents in outer shell, liner, and shutter plate.  
           [0011]    So that a wearer may manually select the position of the shutter plate, the shutter plate positioning mechanism includes a positioning lever connected to the shutter plate for selectively rotating the shutter plate to open and close the vent openings. In its simplest form, the lever that has a fixed end connected to the edge of the shutter plate and a free end that extends through an elongate slot in either the front or rear of the helmet.  
           [0012]    In operation, the wearer may selectively move the lever to a plurality of positions within the elongate slot, without having to remove the helmet. Each position of the lever corresponds to a selected position of the apertures in the shutter plate with respect to the vents in the shell and liner. In one embodiment, the lever, and therefore the shutter plate, may have a fully open position, a half-open position, and a fully closed position.  
           [0013]    These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a right front perspective view of the vented helmet of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a view of the helmet of FIG. 1, with the protective shell partially cut-away;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a left rear perspective view of the helmet of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the helmet of the present invention showing the plurality of vents in the fully open position;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of FIG. 4 with the liner plate removed, showing the alignment of the shutter plate with the plurality of vents in the fully open position;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a top rear perspective view of the liner plate of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the helmet of the present invention showing the plurality of vents in the partially-open position;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 is an enlarged bottom view of FIG. 7 with the liner plate removed, showing the alignment of the shutter plate with the plurality of vents in the half-open position; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 is enlarged bottom view of FIG. 1 with the liner plate removed, showing the alignment of the shutter plate with the plurality of vents in the fully closed position; 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0023]    Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, the present invention is directed to a helmet for protecting a wearer&#39;s head during sporting activities, such as skiing or snowboarding. More specifically, the helmet readily permits a wearer to maximize, restrict, or shutoff ventilation to the dome, or crown portion of the helmet. Shown generally as  10 , the protective helmet comprises a protective outer ventilating shell  12 , a liner  22 , an adjustable strap arrangement  32 , a ventilation controlling shutter plate  42 , and a positioning mechanism  52 .  
         [0024]    The protective outer ventilating shell  12  is a hard-shell, impact-dispersing plastic that can withstand significant blows and temperature extremes without fracture. It is also puncture-resistant, and lightweight. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the materials arts, an outer ventilating shell  12  with these properties may be molded from polycarbonate or ABS plastic, or other durable composite material. As is conventional in protective helmets, the shell, and thus the helmet, has an upwardly contoured open portion  12   a  adjacent the face of the wearer, and a downwardly contoured portion  12   b  adjacent the back of the neck of the wearer.  
         [0025]    A plurality of spaced-apart vents  14  are formed through the outer ventilating shell. It has been found that vents  14  having generally elliptical shapes provide the most desirable, and streamlined, airflow; however the present invention is not limited thereto. The vents  14  are further recessed in the ventilating shell within generally parabolic recesses  13  that facilitate a streamlined flow of air into and out of the upper interior of the helmet  10 . As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the vents  14  are formed at spaced intervals in both the front and rear portions of the shell. FIGS. 4 and 5 provide a view of the general orientation of the vents  14  as they appear from the bottom of the helmet  10 . While the embodiment illustrated herein has an equal number (3) of front and rear vents, the invention is not limited thereto; rather, for effective ventilation, at least one front vent and one rear vent, or only front or rear vents, may well be sufficient. Further, the sizes of the vents may be varied so that the desired number of vents  14  is either increased or decreased. To facilitate air flow during use, the elliptically-shaped vents  14  are generally oriented with their major axes running from the front to the rear of the helmet  10 . Additionally, but not important to the utility of the invention, one or more faux vents  16  may be formed in the shell for ornamental purposes.  
         [0026]    Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 4, a lightweight, shock-absorbing liner  22  is disposed within and adhered to substantially the entire inner surface of the shell  12 . The liner  22  is made of molded styrene, polystyrene, expanded plastic, or the similar shock-absorbing material. As best seen in FIG. 4, the vents  14  are also formed through the liner  22 .  
         [0027]    As shown in FIG. 2, a ventilating control shutter plate  42  is disposed within the liner  22 ; i.e., the shutter plate is positioned within a substantially cylindrical recess that is formed in the liner. The shutter plate  42  may be dome-shaped, spherical, or toroidal/near-spherical, to correspond to the interior contour of the helmet  10 , or may be substantially planner. The shutter plate  42 , which is desirably formed of a flexible, lightweight, durable plastic, is relatively thin. When made of a flexible material, the shutter plate  42  can accommodate the change in shape required to rotate within the non-spherical or near-spherical recess in the liner  22 . The thickness of the shutter plate  42  is not critical, but is related to the economy of space within the liner  22  of the helmet  10 . Apertures  44  are formed through the shutter plate  42 . The apertures  44  correspond in dimension and relative position to the vents  14  formed through the protective shell  12  and liner  22 .  
         [0028]    To maintain the shutter plate  42  in position within the liner  22 , a liner plate  24  is provided. The liner plate  24  is dimensioned to fit within the recess in the liner so that the smooth contour of the inner liner of the helmet is maintained. The liner plate  24  is formed of the same material as the liner  22  and is adhered to the liner  22  along its peripheral edges. Best shown in FIG. 6, the liner plate has slots  26  that also correspond in dimension and placement to the vents  14  in shell  12  and liner  22 , and the apertures  44  in the shutter plate  42 . To hold the shutter plate in its desired orientation, and to provide a central hub for rotational movement of for the shutter plate  42 , projections  27  and  28  are provided on the innermost side of the liner plate  24 . Projection  27  extends through slot  48  in the shutter plate  42  and into recess  27   a  of liner  22  to provide the hub for rotational movement of the shutter plate  42 . Optionally, projections  28 , which are generally actuate in shape, extend through opposed slots  46  and into recesses  28   a  of the liner  22  to facilitate rotation of the shutter plate  42 , without undue lateral shifting or sliding, and provide additional structural support through the shutter plate to maintain the shutter plate recess in the foam liner.  
         [0029]    The positioning mechanism  52  of the present invention comprises a lever, or detent,  54  that is either connected to, or integrally formed with the shutter plate  42 . The lever  54  is desirably formed of the same durable material as the shutter plate so that it is not easily damaged or broken due to anticipated, repeated use. The lever  54  extends from its fixed end through a slot  56  formed therethrough the liner  22  and the protective shell  12 . The lever  54  may have an enlarged end, or more desirably, a knob  58  is affixed to its free end so that the wearer can easily grasp it to manipulate the lever  54 . The lever  54  may also be so formed and positioned that it is slightly spring biased either upward or downward against the slot  56 . This is possible since the durable plastic is resilient. The bias assists in preventing the lever  54  and the connected shutter plate  42  form shifting or sliding during use. Optionally, indentations  59  may be formed along one edge of the slot  56  to engage the lever, or detent,  54  at some point along the length of the lever  54  to hold the lever  54  in a desired position along the slot  56 . This enables the wearer to know which position the lever, or detent,  54 , and thus the shutter plate  42 , are in and to selectively change their positions by touch, without having to remove the helmet  10 . By exerting a small amount of force in the lateral direction the wearer can overcome the spring bias and move the lever, or detent,  54  laterally within the slot  56 . The positioning lever, or detent,  54  is also positioned at a low angle relative to the wearer&#39;s skull to avoid transferring external impact energy through the helmet to the wearer&#39;s skull.  
         [0030]    In use, the wearer may manipulate the lever  54  and connected shutter plate  42  to open or close the vents  14  to achieve the desired degree of ventilation into and out of the crown of the helmet  10 . For example, referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and  5 , when the lever  54  is in position ‘A’ along slot  56 , the apertures  44  of the shutter plate are in complete alignment and registration with the vents  14  so that the vents  14  are completely opened, or unblocked. By sliding the lever  54  to position ‘B’ along slot  56 , the shutter plate is rotated counterclockwise to the position shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The apertures  44  are then in partial alignment with the vents  14 , thereby limiting, or restricting, the air flow. Since the vents  14  and apertures  44  are not geometrically radial about the pivot point of the shutter plate  42 , the air flow through the apertures  14  when the lever  54  is in position ‘B’ is less than half of the air flow potential of position ‘A’.  
         [0031]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 9, by moving the lever  54  to position ‘C’ along slot  56 , the shutter plate is rotated further counterclockwise. In this position, the opening to each of the vents  14  are completely blocked and no ventilation is permitted. This position may also be desirable when the wearer wishes to keep rain or snow from entering the top of the helmet.  
         [0032]    To ensure the comfort of the helmet  10  and to ensure that the helmet does not fall off during use, a conventional type of strap arrangement  32  is provided. The strap arrangement may be attached to the shell  12  or liner  22  in a number of conventional ways. The straps arrangement  32  comprises left and right ear covers  34   a ,  34   b , an adjustable chin strap pair  36   a ,  36   b , and an interlocking buckle assembly  38   a ,  38   b.    
         [0033]    Although the present invention has been described with exemplary constructions, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.