Patent ID: 8850625

Claim:
A head and neck support device for an occupant of a vehicle with a shoulder harness over the shoulders of the occupant and a helmet on a head of the occupant, which comprises: a yoke having a front portion a rear portion, the yoke configured for being disposed behind the neck and over the shoulders and front portion of the torso of the occupant; a tether having an elongate length, a first end and a second end; means for attaching the first end of the tether to a first side of the helmet, and a means for attaching the second end of the tether to a second, opposite side of the helmet; a plurality of sleeve members fixedly attached to a portion of the yoke, wherein each sleeve member defines a cavity therethrough; wherein the tether is configured to slidably move within the cavity of each sleeve member of the plurality of sleeve members upon rotation of the head of the occupant relative to the yoke; the tether having a first end portion having a length between one sleeve member of the plurality of sleeve members and the first end of the tether, and a second end portion having a length between another sleeve member of the plurality of sleeve members and the second end of the tether, wherein the length of the first end portion increases and the length of the second end portion decreases upon rotation of the head of the occupant relative to the yoke; and a blocking device positioned along the tether so that only a desired portion of the tether can be slidably received therein the cavity of at least one of the plurality of sleeve members.