Patent ID: 8898822

Claim:
A collar comprising: an upper flange configured to encircle a portion of a neck of a user, the upper flange configured to limit movement of a helmet worn by the user in directions corresponding to the portion, the upper flange configured to allow unrestricted movement of the helmet in a forward direction and having forward side segments disposed on opposite sides and configured to provide gradually increasing restriction of sideways movement of the helmet, and having a rear segment configured to restrict rearward movement of the helmet; a shoulder flange having a back pad, the shoulder flange configured to be secured to a shoulder of the user, the shoulder flange having a substantially rigid contact surface configured to distribute a load to the shoulder and to an upper back region of the user; and a riser coupled to the upper flange and coupled to the shoulder flange, the riser having a rigid structure configured to convey a compressive force applied to the upper flange to the shoulder flange and configured to hold the upper flange in a position to allow extension of the neck to a position above a spine of the user and to prevent hyperextension of the neck, wherein a contact surface of the upper flange and the contact surface of the shoulder flange is contiguous, and wherein a raised portion of the back pad is flanked by the contact surface of the shoulder flange.