Patent Abstract:
A wearable impact protection and force channeling device operable to transfer force received via impact from a head of the user to a body of the user, thereby utilizing an entire mass of the user to lessen rapid momentum change of the head.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This Patent Application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/310,435 titled Wearable Impact Protection and Force Channeling Device filed Mar. 18, 2016, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    The present inventive concept relates to a wearable safety device configured to protect a user from brain and neck trauma by preventing direct impact to the user&#39;s head. More particularly, the present inventive concept provides a wearable impact protection and force channeling device operable to transfer force received via impact from a head of the user to a body of the user, thereby utilizing an entire mass of the user to lessen rapid momentum change of the head. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    The brain has natural shock absorbers in the form of three layers of meninges membranes and cerebrospinal fluid, but these can be overwhelmed when subjected to excessive force. Brain-skull contact is most likely under two conditions, i.e., first at an initial impact, e.g., from being struck, when the skull rapidly gains momentum and is driven into the brain due to its inertia lag, or second when the skull comes suddenly to rest, e.g., from striking the ground, but the momentum of the brain causes it to continue its movement and strike the skull. Thus, to limit the momentum/inertia imbalance that causes brain-skull contact, an acceleration/deceleration inhibitor for the head must be integrated into any head protection device. 
         [0006]    Conventional helmets are worn to reduce impact induced head injuries in various industries such as sports, e.g., football, lacrosse, BMX, NASCAR, rally racing and construction. Conventional helmets are operable to be secured to a user&#39;s head in an attempt to reduce direct impact damage. 
         [0007]    A problem with such conventional helmets is that, among other things, such allow impact forces to be concentrated on the head of the user, thereby creating sudden acceleration and/or deceleration of the head of the user. Such sudden acceleration and/or deceleration can result in a concussion, which occurs when the user&#39;s brain impacts an interior of the user&#39;s skull. Further, such sudden acceleration and/or deceleration can result in impact induced movement of the head independent of the body, which creates stress concentrations along the neck and spinal cord. Such stress concentrations can result in paralysis. 
         [0008]    When conventional helmets are used in sports, such allow the kinetic force of an impacting opposing player, which consisting of one half of their entire mass times their velocity squared, to be concentrated initially at the moment of impact onto the much lesser head mass of the impactee helmet user. The overall ratio of the total mass of the opposing player vs. the helmet user&#39;s head mass usually exceeds  10 : 1  in normally proportioned individuals and may exceed 20:1 in professional athletes who are larger and more muscular. Thus, by the limitation of their design, conventional helmets are required to initially resist an order of magnitude imbalance between the impacting force and the resisting force caused by the disproportion of the total mass of the impacting player and the limited mass of the head of the impactee. This force imbalance results in excessive acceleration of the helmet user&#39;s head imparted by the momentum of the opposing player, which can result in concussion if the sudden acceleration or deceleration causes their brain to strike the inside of the skull. Additionally, even though conventional helmets may prevent direct damage to the user&#39;s skull, they do nothing to resist force concentration to the neck of the impactee, which may also result in paralyzing injury. 
         [0009]    Accordingly, there is a need for a device that does not suffer from the limitations of conventional helmets, is operable to protect a user&#39;s neck as well as a user&#39;s head, is operable to channel forces received from both acceleration and deceleration away from a user&#39;s neck and head, has a simple design that is easy to use, and is economical to manufacture. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    The following brief description is provided to indicate the nature of the subject matter disclosed herein. While certain aspects of the present inventive concept are described below, the summary is not intended to limit the scope of the present inventive concept. Embodiments of the present inventive concept provide an inventive concept for a wearable impact protection and force channeling device operable to transfer force received via impact from a head of a user to a body of the user, thereby utilizing an entire mass of the user to lessen rapid momentum change of the head. The present inventive concept does not suffer from and remedies the deficiencies of conventional devices such as those previously set forth herein. 
         [0011]    Instead of a helmet being fastened to the head of the user as a protective shell while still allowing direct impact to the helmet/head and subsequent force concentrations to the neck, the present inventive concept provides a device that encases both the head and neck via a protective dome that is fastened to the body of the user, thereby preventing direct contact with the head and neck, and channeling or transferring the force of the impact to the body of the user. In this manner, the device of the present inventive concept allows the entire mass of the user to resist the impact force, thereby reducing acceleration, as opposed to conventional helmets that allow an impact to be concentrated on just the user&#39;s head mass. 
         [0012]    It is an object of the present inventive concept to channel or transfer impact force to the body of the user instead of the direct contact with the head that conventional helmet technology allows. 
         [0013]    It is an object of the present inventive concept to protect the neck, thereby reducing the chance of spinal injuries. 
         [0014]    It is an object of the present inventive concept to provide a protective device that can be used in various applications including, but not limited to sports protective gear, e.g., football in secondary school, college and NFL, and hockey, lacrosse, BMX, NASCAR and/or the like. 
         [0015]    The device of the present inventive concept generally includes three components, i.e., a protective transparent dome that encapsulates a head of a user, a body harness that fastens to the body of the user and is operable to securely support the dome, and an inflatable restraint system to limit head and neck movement, which serves a dual purpose of dampening head acceleration and preventing impact of the user&#39;s head with the inside of the dome and collar. When the first component is affixed to the second component, the combination prevents direct impact contact with the neck and head, and transfers impact forces to the body of the user. 
         [0016]    Depending upon application of the device of the present inventive concept, the dome may be made of either a completely transparent material or a combination of one or more transparent and opaque materials. 
         [0017]    The dome is semi-spherical in shape, the surface of which is treated with an anti-fogging coating supplemented with anti-fogging ventilation slits near the crown, and either a threaded slatted flange or a slatted horizontal flange at its base for insertion into the mounting collar of the body harness. If the optical characteristics of the dome material adversely affect the performance of the user, the dome may be optionally equipped with an open viewport. 
         [0018]    The body harness consists of a shell with front and back plates that has its inside surface lined with compression pads to facilitate a tight fit when secured, that is strapped tight to the body of the user and to which existing football shoulder pad technology can be affixed, a mounting collar with a slotted receiver ring that allows the insertion and rotation of the corresponding slatted flange of the dome, a front opening in the mounting collar for access to the user&#39;s mouth, a locking mechanism consisting of a spring tensioned pin that secures the dome once it is inserted into the receiver ring, a loop on the spring tensioned locking pin to enable the attachment of a mouth guard and to facilitate the manual depression of the pin, a restraint system consisting of an inflatable bladder encased within multi-densities of compression foam to limit head movement (to resist head impact with the dome and prevent neck injury), and a recessed valve to allow for the inflation of the restraint system. A compression ring option may be installed in the collar to allow yielding of the dome-collar assembly upon impact, so as to lessen the chance of injury to opposing players when they are struck by the assembly. 
         [0019]    The aforementioned may be achieved in one aspect of the present disclosure by providing a protective device operable to transfer force from a first portion of a user to a second portion of a user. The device may include a first component operable to encapsulate a first portion of a user. The first component may be entirely, mostly, or partially transparent to permit the user to view through the first component, thereby providing a user with visibility through the device. The device may also include a second component operable to secure the first component to a second portion of the user. The device may also include a third component secured to the second component. The third component may be operable to limit movement of the user relative to the second component. 
         [0020]    The first component may be entirely or partially curved or dome-shaped. The second component may include a harness and is able to function as a body harness. The third component may be entirely or partially inflatable, e.g., via introduction of air into the third component via a valve or the like. 
         [0021]    The device may further include a circulation system operable to (i) permit gas to enter and/or exit the first component, and/or (ii) maintain a degree of visibility through the portion of the first component. The circulation system may include at least one vent in and/or extending entirely through the first component. 
         [0022]    The device may further include at least one interior compression pad having an inflatable bladder on the second component and/or the third component. The device may further include an access port on the second component operable to allow a user access to the third component to inflate the third component. The device may further include at least one inflation valve accessible via the access port on the second component. The at least one inflation valve may be in communication with the inflatable bladder. The inflation valve may be recessed relative to an outermost surface of the second component. 
         [0023]    The device may further include at least one front opening in the second component. The device may further include at least one mounting collar on the second component. The at least one mounting collar may be resiliently secured to the second component so that the at least one mounting collar is biased away from the second component, e.g., via one or more resilient elements or springs. 
         [0024]    The device may further include at least one locking mechanism operable to secure the first component to the second component. The device may further include at least one release mechanism operable to enable detachment of the first component from the second component when actuated. The device may further include a mounting loop operable to secure a mouth guard to the device. 
         [0025]    The device may further include at least one fastener on the second component. The device may further include at least one shoulder pad and/or chest plate on the second component. The first component may be operable to be secured to the second component by insertion of the first component into the second component. The first portion of the user may be a head of the user. The second portion of the user may be a body of the user. 
         [0026]    The foregoing and other objects are intended to be illustrative of the present inventive concept and are not meant in a limiting sense. Many possible embodiments of the present inventive concept may be made and will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and accompanying drawings comprising a part thereof. Various features and subcombinations of the present inventive concept may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. Other objects and advantages of this present inventive concept will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this present inventive concept and various features thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0027]    A preferred embodiment of the present inventive concept, illustrative of the best mode in which the applicant has contemplated applying the principles, is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawings. 
           [0028]      FIG. 1  is a top, left, front perspective view of a wearable impact protection and force channeling device of the present inventive concept; 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  is an elevated front view of the device of  FIG. 1  fitted on a user; 
           [0030]      FIG. 3  is a magnified cross-sectional elevated side view of a locking mechanism of the device of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional elevated side view of the device of  FIG. 2  fitted on the user; 
           [0032]      FIG. 5A  is an exploded side view of the device of  FIG. 1  with a first component removed from a second component and the second component in cross section; 
           [0033]      FIG. 5B  is a magnified side view of a compression ring of the device of  FIG. 5A ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 6A  is an exploded side view of another embodiment of the device of  FIG. 1  with a first component removed from a second component and the second component in cross section; 
           [0035]      FIG. 6B  is a magnified side view of a retainer ring of the device of  FIG. 6A ; 
           [0036]      FIG. 6C  is a magnified top plan side view of the retainer ring of the device of  FIG. 6A ; 
           [0037]      FIG. 7A  is an exploded side view of another embodiment of the device of  FIG. 1  with a first component removed from a second component; and 
           [0038]      FIG. 7B  is a magnified front view of the device of  FIG. 7A  with the first component secured to the second component and the first and second components in cross section. 
       
    
    
       [0039]    The drawings do not limit the present inventive concept to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on clearly illustrating principles of certain embodiments of the present inventive concept. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0040]    The following detailed description references the accompanying drawings that illustrate various embodiments of the present inventive concept. The illustrations and description are intended to describe aspects and embodiments of the present inventive concept in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present inventive concept. Other components can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present inventive concept. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present inventive concept is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
         [0041]    I. Terminology 
         [0042]    In the description, terminology is used to describe features of the present inventive concept. For example, references to terms “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “the embodiment,” or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one aspect of the present inventive concept. Separate references to terms “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “the embodiment,” or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, process, step, action, or the like described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the present inventive concept may include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein. Additionally, all aspects of the present disclosure as described herein are not essential for its practice. 
         [0043]    The term “user” is generally used synonymously herein to represent a user of the device. For purposes herein, the user may be an athlete or a construction worker. 
         [0044]    Lastly, the terms “or” and “and/or” as used herein are to be interpreted as inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Therefore, “A, B or C” or “A, B and/or C” mean “any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C.” An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, functions, steps or acts are in some way inherently mutually exclusive. 
         [0045]    As the present inventive concept is susceptible to embodiments of many different forms, it is intended that the present disclosure be considered as an example of the principles of the present inventive concept and not intended to limit the present inventive concept to the specific embodiments shown and described. 
         [0046]    II. General Architecture 
         [0047]    Turning to the drawings and particularly  FIGS. 1-6C , a wearable impact protection and force channeling device  10  is illustrated. The device  10  includes a first component  12  operable to be detachably secured to a second component  14 . In the exemplary embodiment, the first component  12  is a protective semi-spherical, dome-shaped element operable to be received over and encompass a user&#39;s head. It is foreseen that the first component  12  can be variably sized to accommodate heads of different sizes and may not be perfectly semi-spherical, but may have an oblong shape or be shaped as an elliptical sphere without deviating from the scope of the present inventive concept. For instance, an average head is approximately 9 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 9 inches tall. In the exemplary embodiment, the first component  12  is sized and shaped to provide at least 3 inches of clearance between an average-sized head and an inner surface of the first component  12 , thus is approximately 15 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 8 inches tall, given a portion of the second portion encloses the head. 
         [0048]    The first component  12  includes a viewing area  16  made of a transparent material operable to allow the user to see through the first component  12 . The viewing area  16  is sized and shaped to allow the user of the device  10  to have a full viewing range so that the device  10  does not block any portion of a user&#39;s field of vision including peripheral vision. In the exemplary embodiment, the first component  12  is entirely made of the transparent material such as polycarbonate or other similar high-strength impact-resistant material. 
         [0049]    The device  10  of the present inventive concept includes one or more of the following features to prevent fogging caused by, for example, the user&#39;s breath, perspiration, and/or heat. It is foreseen that a portion of the first component  12 , i.e., a  16 , may be provided through the first component so that the user&#39;s head is encapsulated by the device  10  except for a portion aligned with a forward view of the user. Alternatively or in addition to the viewport  16 , a circulation system may be provided via a plurality of vent holes  17  in the first component  12  to prevent fogging of the first component  12 . Alternatively or in addition to the viewport  16  and/or vent holes  17 , an inner surface of the first component  12  may include an anti-fogging coating to prevent fogging of the first component  12 . 
         [0050]    The first and second components  12 ,  14  are secured together via a flange  18  formed at a base of the first component  12  and a mounting collar  20  on the second component  14 . The collar  20  has an inverted conical shape with an opening at the top defined by a circumferential receiver  22  and an opening at the bottom, which is attached to a remainder portion of the second component  14 . The openings permit the user to extend his/her head through the collar  20 . The collar  20  is substantially made of hard impact resistant plastic, which may be opaque or color infused, with various fittings and other portions of the collar  20  made of steel. It is foreseen that the collar  20  may be made of another material such as, but not limited to, polycarbonate, carbon fiber material, or other high strength material without deviating from the scope of the present inventive concept. 
         [0051]    In the exemplary embodiment, the mounting collar  20  is operable to receive the flange  18  within the circumferential receiver  22 , which extends around an uppermost portion of the mounting collar  20 . The receiver  22  includes a circumferential groove  24  formed by a circumferential lip  26  with a plurality of slots  28 . The slots  28  are evenly spaced from each other about a substantial portion of the lip  26  and angled downwardly, e.g., between twenty and thirty degrees relative to a plane defined by the groove  24 , and preferably at twenty-five degrees. Each of the slots  28  is sized and shaped to receive one of a plurality of extensions  30 , which also extend from a circumferential surface of the flange  18  at a downward, e.g., between twenty and thirty degrees and preferably at twenty-five degrees, form a portion of the flange  18 . As with the slots  28 , the extensions  30  are also evenly spaced from each other about a substantial portion of the flange  18  so that each of the slots  28  are sized and shaped to be securely received in one of the slots  28 . 
         [0052]    The first component  12  may be secured to the second component  14  via a number of various engagements. In the exemplary embodiment, the first component  12  is secured to the second component  14  via (i) nesting the first component  12  into the second component  14  so that a tip of each of the extensions  30  extends into one of the slots  28  and (ii) rotating the first component  12  so each of the extensions  30  is wedged or threaded into and become seated within one of the slots  28  so that the extensions  30  are entirely housed within the slots  28 . When the first component  12  is rotated, the mating of the extensions  30  and slots  28  causes the first component  12  to be drawn closer to the second component  14 . In the exemplary embodiment, each of the extensions  30  are approximately 2 inches long, and the first component  12  is rotated approximately  18  degrees to cause the extensions  30  to become threaded into the slots  28 . It is foreseen that the extensions  30  may be shorter or longer, e.g., be 1.75 to 2.25 inches long, and/or be variably sized without deviating from the scope of the present inventive concept. To increase friction between the slots  28  and the extensions  30 , the extensions  30  are tapered and have a wedge-shape, with (i) a smaller width at a leading edge of each of the extensions  30  that is first introduced into one of the slots  28 , and (ii) a larger width at a trailing edge of each of the extensions  30 . In this manner, the extensions  30  engage the slots  28 , upon counter-clockwise rotation of the first component, via a friction fit engagement, thereby securing the first component  12  to the second component  14 . The first component  12  is removed from the second component via clockwise-rotation of the first component  12  relative to the second component  14 , which causes the components  12 ,  14  to be pushed away from each other and the extensions  30  to be removed from the slots  28 . 
         [0053]    When the first component  12  is secured to the second component  14 , a locking mechanism  32  positioned at a front of the collar  20  is operable to prevent one of the extensions  30  from being removed from one of the slots  28 . The locking mechanism  32  includes a locking pin  33  that is biased upwardly and toward the first component  12  to a locked position via a spring  34 . The pin  33  includes a sloped surface  35 . The locking mechanism  32  includes a  90  degree pivot range, and is operable to be rotatably actuated, via a handle  36 , from a locked position at one end of the pivot range, i.e., with the handle  36  extending laterally relative to a user and the device  10 , and an unlocked position at another end of the pivot range, i.e., with the handle  36  extending away from the user and the device  10 . With the locking mechanism  32  in the unlocked position, the flange  18  is received into the groove  24 , which causes one of the extensions  30  to engage and force the pin  33  downwardly from its original position as illustrated by  FIG. 3 , which causes the spring  34  to become compressed. Once compressed, the first component  12  is rotated as previously discussed so the extensions  30  engage the slots  28 . Once engaged, the trailing edge of the one of the extensions  30  clears the pin  33 , which allows the pin  33  to return to its original position due to resilient bias of the spring  34 . Finally, the handle  36  is rotated  90  degrees to extend laterally relative to the user, which causes the locking mechanism  32  to lock the flange  18  within the groove  24 . The handle  36  may be designed to extend at least partially through a mouth port  76  when in the unlocked position and be flush with or recessed within the mouth port  76  when in the locked position. 
         [0054]    While the device  10  of the present inventive concept is operable to protect the user against impact to the user&#39;s head and neck, the device  10  could present a danger of injury to others, e.g., opponents when used during a sporting event, if the user uses the device  10  to “spear” impact them. While steps should be taken to modify rules of the sporting event to penalize such action, it is beneficial to provide a means of yielding within the collar  20  to dissipate or absorb the force of such impacts. For this purpose, the collar  20  includes a compression ring  39 . The compression ring  39  includes a spring loaded channel and flange. The compression ring  39  is located around a perimeter of the base of the collar  20  and biases the collar  20  away from a remainder portion of the second component  14 . The compression ring  39  is operable to allow the collar  20  to compress approximately 1 inch toward the portion of the remainder portion of the second component  14  when a compression force is applied to a portion, e.g., a top, of the collar  20 . 
         [0055]    It is foreseen that the flange  18  could be formed on the second component  14  and the receiver  22  could be formed on the first component  12  without deviating from the scope of the present inventive concept. 
         [0056]    The second component  14  includes an outermost surface  40  that is at least partially contoured to a body of the user, e.g., a torso and shoulders. For example, a chest or front plate  41  of the second component  14  includes contoured portions  42  that are sized and shaped to correspond to a chest of the user, while a back plate  43  of the second component  14  is curved to correspond to a back of the user. The second component  14  includes a pair of openings  44  on either side of the second component  14  that are each operable to surround an uppermost portion of a shoulder of the user so that a portion of the shoulder and an arm of the user can extend from the second component  14  of the device  10 . In this manner, the second component  14  is operable to allow an unimpaired full range movement of the arms of the user. 
         [0057]    Each of the openings  44  include a body harness or fastener  46  secured at opposing ends  48 ,  50  of the second component  14 . In the exemplary embodiment, the fastener  46  is a strap or belt and a buckle with the belt secured to the end  48  and the buckle secured to the end  50 , but it is foreseen that another type of securing mechanism may be used without deviating from the scope of the present inventive concept. The fasteners  46  are operable to allow ends  48 ,  50  of the openings  44  to be selectively expanded away from each other and contracted toward each other by the user, e.g., when the user is taking the device  10  on or off, and to be secured together, e.g., during use of the device  10 . The fasteners  46  are operable to be secured at one of a plurality of points, thereby allowing the ends  48 ,  50  to be secured at various distances with respect to each other. In this manner, the fasteners  46  allow the device  10  to accommodate various user body types. 
         [0058]    The second component  14  houses a third component  60 , i.e., an inflatable restraining system, positioned on one or more interior surfaces  62  of the collar  20 . The third component  60  includes at least one compression pad or inflatable component  64  that is operable to be inflated by introducing air into a bladder  66  of the inflatable component  64  via a recessed valve  68  located on a side of the collar  20 . The valve  68  is operable to be selectively opened and closed by the user, and is in communication with the bladder  66  to enable inflation and deflation of the bladder  66 . The valve  68  is accessible via an access port  70  that extends through the collar  20  of the second component  14 . 
         [0059]    In the exemplary embodiment, the third component  60  is sized and shaped to encompass a neck and a portion of the head of the user, i.e., donut shaped. The third component  60  is operable to receive air into the bladder  66  and expand to snugly fit around the neck and the portion of the head of the user. The third component  60  includes an indent  72  sized and shaped to receive a chin of the user, and an opening  74  at the front that is positioned to align with the mouth port  76  at a front of the collar  20 . The opening  74  and the mouth port  76  provide access to a mouth of the user. 
         [0060]    The second component  14  also includes a plurality of pads  80  operable to diffuse and distribute force received on the device  10  from an impact. Each of the plurality of pads  80  are secured to an interior surface  82  of the second component  14  so that the interior surface  82  is substantially lined by the pads  80  and the interior surface  82  is spaced from the user by the pads  80 . In the exemplary embodiment, the pads  80  are made of foam. It is foreseen, however, that the pads  80  may be made of rubber or the like without deviating from the scope of the present inventive concept. 
         [0061]    The handle  36  also can be used as a mouthpiece ring  90  given its location on a side of the collar  20  and accessibility via the mouth port  76 . The ring  90  is operable to provide a connecting point for a mouthpiece guard. 
         [0062]    In this manner, the second component  14  is operable to function as a body harness, stabilizes and secures the mounting collar  20  to the body of the user, and allows the transference of force from impact on the first component  12  to the body of the user. The second component  14  is sized and shaped to allow traditional football shoulder pads to be fastened to the second component  14 . In the exemplary embodiment, the second component  14  is made of high impact resistant plastic, which may be opaque or color infused. It is foreseen that the second component  14  may be made of another material such as, but not limited to polycarbonate, a carbon fiber material, or the like without deviating from the scope of the present inventive concept. 
         [0063]    To use the device  10 , the user disconnects the fasteners  46  and expands the openings  44 . Then, wearing a tight, form-fitting t-shirt or the like, or no clothing, the user extends his/her head through a central hole  86  formed in part by the plates  41 ,  43  in the second component  14 , through the collar  20 , and into the first component  12  until the shoulders of the user abut shoulder portions  88  of the second component  14 . When worn, the collar  20  encompasses the neck and lower head portion of the user and the circumferential receiver  22  of the collar  20  transcribing an imaginary line from below the nose to roughly the rear base of the skull of the user. Then, the user contracts the openings  44  via the fastener  46  to one of the plurality of positions provided by the fastener until the pads  80  abut the chest and back of the user or the t-shirt of the user. Then, the valve  68  is opened and air is introduced into the bladder  66  of the inflatable component  64  until the inflatable component abuts the neck and head of the user, at which point the valve  68  is closed to lock or trap the air in the bladder  66 . In this manner, the third component  60  is tightly fitted around the neck and lower head portion of the user, and provides a shock absorber and prevents any contact between the head of the user and the collar  20  and the first component  12 . 
         [0064]    As mentioned, the first component  12  may be secured to the second component  14  via a number of various engagements. For instance, in an alternative embodiment, as illustrated by  FIGS. 6A-6C , a first component  112 , with vent holes  117 , is secured to the second component  114  via only vertical nesting without rotating the first component  112 . In this embodiment, a flange  118  of the first component  112  includes a plurality of extensions  130  that extend horizontally from a bottom surface  132  of the first component  112  to the define an upwardly-facing abutment surface  134  and a downwardly-facing abutment surface  136 . In this embodiment, the extensions  130  are spaced approximately 2 inches apart, but it is foreseen that the extensions  130  could be otherwise spaced without deviating from the scope of the present inventive concept. For instance, it is foreseen that the extensions  130  may be shorter or longer, e.g., be 1.75 to 2.25 inches long, and/or be variably sized without deviating from the scope of the present inventive concept. 
         [0065]    To secure the first component  112  to the second component  114 , the first component  112  is vertically placed onto the second component  114  so that each of the extensions  130  extends into one of a plurality of openings  138  in a rotatable ring  140  with each of the downwardly-facing abutment surfaces  136  abutting a top of the collar  120 . The ring  140  is secured to the collar  120  via corresponding ridges  142  and grooves  144  on each of the collar  120  and the ring  140 . In this embodiment, the ring  140  forms a “T” shaped portion that extends into a corresponding “T” shaped portion of the collar  120  of the second component  114 . It is foreseen, however, that the ring  140  could have an “L” shaped portion operable to extend into a corresponding “L” shaped portion of the collar  120  of the second component  114  or other correspondingly-shaped portions without deviating from the scope of the present inventive concept. In this manner, the ring  140  is rotatably secured to the collar  120  of the second component  114 . The ring  140  includes tabs  146  spaced from each other by spacer bars  148 . After the first component  112  has been placed on the collar  120 , the ring  140  is rotated so that each of the tabs  146  extends over one of the extensions  130  to abut the upwardly-facing abutment surface  134  and at least partially conceal each of the extensions  130 . In this manner, the components  112 ,  114  are secured together via a friction-fit engagement. 
         [0066]    Turning to  FIGS. 7A and 7B , a first component  212  is secured to the second component  214  via only horizontal nesting without rotating the first component  212 , the second component  214 , or any portion thereof. The first component  212  is shaped as a quarter dome as opposed to the semi-spherical dome of the first component  12 . An uppermost portion of the second component  214  is also shaped as a quarter dome that, in combination with the first component  212 , collaboratively form a semi-spherical dome. In this embodiment, a vertical flange  218  and a horizontal flange  220  of the first component  212  is sized and shaped to be slidably received within vertical slot  230  and horizontal slot  234 , respectively. In this manner, the components  112 ,  114  are secured together via a friction-fit engagement. 
         [0067]    In another embodiment, the first component  12  may include a male thread and the second component may include a female thread that is sized and shaped to correspond to the male thread. The components  12 ,  14  may be secured together by (i) nesting the first component  12  into the second component  14  and (ii) rotating the first component  12  so the threads engage each other. In another embodiment, the first component  12  may have a portion that is sized and shaped to be slidably received into a groove a portion of include a male thread and the second component may include a female thread. The components  12 ,  14  may be secured together by (i) nesting the first component  12  into the second component  14  and (ii) rotating the first component  12  so the threads engage each other. 
         [0068]    Accordingly, the device  10  of the present inventive concept provides impact protection to the user of the device  10  by channeling force received from an impact during an activity of the user such as, but not limited to participating in sports, e.g., football, lacrosse, BMX, NASCAR, and rally racing, or at a jobsite, e.g., construction, thereby decreasing the likelihood the user will be injured or killed by the impact. 
         [0069]    Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the present inventive concept, the manner in which the present inventive concept is constructed and used, the characteristics of the construction, and advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, tools, elements, arrangements, parts and combinations, are set forth in the appended claims. 
         [0070]    It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the present inventive concept herein described, and all statements of the scope of the present inventive concept which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0