Patent Publication Number: US-2023133570-A1

Title: Bite Deterring Helmet Assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM. 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to helmet devices and more particularly pertains to a new helmet device for inhibiting a child from biting another child. The device includes a helmet comprised of a resiliently compressible material which includes cheek panels that extend forwardly beyond a mouth of the child when the helmet is worn on the child. The device includes a face bar to further inhibit the child from biting and a teething ring that is suspended from the face bar. 
     Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to helmet devices including an orthodontic helmet that has a pivotally adjustable face bar for supporting an orthodontic device. The prior art discloses a variety of protective helmets for infants that are comprised of a rigid material for preventing head injuries. The prior art discloses a novelty cap for children which includes ornamental elements resembling an animal. The prior art discloses a variety of teething devices for soothing teething pain in a child. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a helmet that can be worn on a head of a child. The helmet has a pair of adjustment elements each being integrated into the helmet for adjusting a fit of the helmet on the child’s head. A face bar is coupled to the helmet to inhibit the child from biting another child. A pair of ears is each of the ears is coupled to and extends outwardly from the helmet to present the ornamental appearance of animal ears. A chin strap is movably coupled to the helmet to extend beneath the child’s chin when the helmet is worn. A teething ring is suspended from the face bar and the teething ring can be chewed by the child for soothing teething pain. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a front perspective view of a bite deterring helmet assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a front in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a back view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is a left side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a cross sectional view taken along line 6-6 of  FIG.  5    of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS.  1  through  6    thereof, a new helmet device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS.  1  through  6   , the bite deterring helmet assembly  10  generally comprises a helmet  12  that can be worn on a head  14  of a child  16 . The helmet  12  is comprised of a resiliently compressible material to inhibit the child  16  wearing the helmet  12  from injuring another child by striking the other child with the helmet  12 . The helmet  12  has a plurality of vents  18  is integrated into the helmet  12  to ventilate the child’s head  14  when the helmet  12  is being worn. Furthermore, the helmet  12  has a pair of adjustment elements  20  each being integrated into the helmet  12  for adjusting a fit of the helmet  12  on the child’s head  14 . 
     The helmet  12  has an inner surface  22 , an outer surface  24  and a perimeter edge  26  extending between the inner surface  22  and the outer surface  24 . The perimeter edge  26  has a brow portion  28  extending between a pair of lateral portions  30  and a bottom portion  32  extending between each of the lateral portions  30 . Each of the lateral portions  30  is perpendicularly oriented with the brow portion  28  such that the brow portion  28  and the pair of lateral portions  30  define a face opening  34  in the helmet  12  to expose the child’s face  36 . Additionally, the bottom portion  32  is perpendicularly oriented with the pair of lateral portions  30 , and the bottom portion  32  is continuously arcuate between each of the lateral portions  30  to curve around the child’s neck  38 . 
     Each of the lateral portions  30  angles forwardly between the brow portion  28  and the bottom portion  32  such that each of the lateral portions  30  defines a respective one of a pair of cheek panels  40  of the helmet  12 . In this way each of the cheek panels  40  can extend forwardly beyond the child’s mouth  41  when the helmet  12  is worn thereby inhibiting the child’s  16  ability to bite another child. The helmet  12  has a pair of cuts  42  each extending through the inner surface  22  and the outer surface  24 . Moreover, each of the cuts  42  extends rearwardly from a respective intersection between the brow portion  28  and the pair of lateral portions  30  such that each of the cuts  42  defines a respective one of the adjustment elements  20 . 
     Each of the cuts  42  is associated with a respective one of the cheek panels  40 . Each of the cuts  42  facilitates the respective cheek panel  40  to be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly when the cuts  42  are urged open or closed. In this way the pair of cuts  42  facilitates the cheek panels  40  to be adjusted to accommodate the child’s  16  facial structure. Each of the vents  18  comprises a hole  44  which extends through the inner surface  22  and the outer surface  24 . The vents  18  are spaced apart from each other and are distributed in a plurality of rows  46  extending between the brow portion  28  of the perimeter edge  26  and the bottom portion  32  of the perimeter edge  26 . 
     A pair of first mating members  48  is each coupled to the outer surface  24  of the helmet  12 . Each of the first mating members  48  is positioned adjacent to a respective one of the cuts  42  in the helmet  12 . A pair of second mating members  50  is provided and each of the second mating members  50  has a coupled edge  52  and a bottom surface  54 . The coupled edge  52  of each of the second mating members  50  is coupled to the outer surface  24  of the helmet  12 . Each of the second mating members  50  is positioned on an opposite side of a respective cut  42  with respect to a respective one of the first mating members  48 . Each of the second mating members  50  is foldable over the respective cut  42  such that the bottom surface  54  of each of the second mating members  50  releasably engages the respective first mating member  48  for retaining the cheek panels  40  at a desired degree of adjustment. Each of the first mating members  48  and the second mating members  50  may comprise complementary portions of a hook and loop fastener or other type of releasable, multiple use fastener. 
     A face bar  56  is coupled to the helmet  12  to extend across the child’s face  36  when the helmet  12  is worn to inhibit the child  16  from biting another child  16 . The face bar  56  has a first end  58  and a second end  60 , and the face bar  56  is curved between the first end  58  and the second end  60 . Each of the first end  58  and the second end  60  is coupled to a respective one of the lateral portions  30  of the perimeter edge  26  of the helmet  12 . Furthermore, each of the first end  58  and the second end  60  is positioned adjacent to a respective intersection between the lateral portions  30  and the bottom portion  32  of the perimeter edge  26 . 
     A pair of ears  62  is provided and each of the ears  62  is coupled to and extends outwardly from the helmet  12  to present the ornamental appearance of animal ears. Each of the ears  62  has a bottom edge  64  and a forward surface  66 , and the bottom edge  64  is coupled to the outer surface  24  of the helmet  12  having the forward surface  66  being directed forwardly on the helmet  12 . Ear indicia  68  are printed on the forward surface  66  and the ear indicia  68  comprise a circle to represent a caricature of the structure of an animal’s ear. Face indicia  70  are printed on the outer surface  24  of the helmet  12  and the face indicia  70  comprises imagery of two eyes, a nose and whiskers to present a caricature of an animal’s face. The face indicia  70  are positioned between the brow portion  28  of the perimeter edge  26  and each of the ears  62 . 
     A chin strap  72  is movably coupled to the helmet  12  such that the chin strap  72  extends beneath the child’s chin  74  when the helmet  12  is worn. The chin strap  72  has a primary end  76  and a secondary end  78 , and the chin strap  72  is curved between the primary end  76  and the secondary end  78 . Each of the primary end  76  and the secondary end  78  is pivotally coupled to the inner surface  22  of the helmet  12  at a point that is located adjacent to the bottom portion  32  of the perimeter edge  26  of the helmet  12 . The chin strap  72  is spaced from an intersection between each of the lateral portions  30  and the bottom portion  32  of the perimeter edge  26  of the helmet  12 . 
     A teething ring  80  is suspended from the face bar  56  such that the teething ring  80  can be chewed by the child  16  for soothing teething pain. The teething ring  80  includes a lanyard  82  which extends away from the teething ring  80 . The lanyard  82  has a distal end  84  with respect to the teething ring  80  and the lanyard  82  includes a closed ring  86  that is disposed on the distal end  84 . Additionally, the closed ring  86  extends around the face bar  56 . The teething ring  80  may be comprised of a resiliently compressible material and the teething ring  80  may be structured to have the ornamental appearance of an animal. 
     In use, the helmet  12  is positioned on the child’s head  14  and each of the cheek panels  40  is adjusted, if necessary, to ensure the cheek panels  40  extend forwardly beyond the child’s mouth  41 . Each of the second mating members  50  is mated to the respective first mating member  48  to retain the cheek panels  40  at the desired location. In this way the child  16  is inhibited from biting other children while the child  16  is wearing the helmet  12 . Additionally, the face bar  56  further inhibits the child  16  from biting other children. In this way the health and safety of children in a daycare environment can be maintained with respect to eliminating biting injuries. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.