Patent ID: 8256032

Claim:
An in-mold protective helmet comprising: an outer shell; an inner liner comprised of impact absorbing material having suitable impact attenuation properties to protect a wearer of said protective helmet, said inner liner joined to said outer shell using an in-mold process to form a shell/liner composite; a plurality of ventilation ports positioned within said protective helmet, said ventilation ports providing an access for ambient air to enter and exit an interior portion of said protective helmet; and a ventilation system integrally formed with said protective helmet and interacting with at least one of said plurality of ventilation ports to control flow of said ambient air into and out of said interior portion of said protective helmet, said ventilation system comprising: an upper portion; a lower portion comprising an insert piece; a vent space defined by the formation of said upper portion with said lower portion; and a vent shield contained within said vent space, said vent shield capable of displacing within said vent space in relation to said at least one ventilation port; wherein the inner liner comprises an inner surface having a recess therein configured to substantially completely receive the insert piece therein to form an integrated inner surface of the helmet with the vent space contained between the inner surface of the inner liner within the recess and an innermost surface of the insert piece.