Patent ID: 8272070

Claim:
A conical face shield for attachment to a sports helmet, comprising: a first arcuate edge oriented in a first generally horizontal two-dimensional plane, the first arcuate edge having a first end, a second end, and an edge surface extending between the first end and the second end; a second arcuate edge oriented in a generally horizontal two-dimensional plane, the second arcuate edge having a first end, a second end, and an edge surface extending between the first end and the second end; wherein the first generally horizontal two-dimensional plane and the second generally horizontal two-dimensional plane are separate two-dimensional planes; a first side edge oriented in a two-dimensional plane connecting the first end of the first arcuate edge and the first end of the second arcuate edge, the first side edge having a first end, a second end, and a first edge surface extending between the first end and the second end, the first edge surface comprised of a first linear segment extending along a portion of the first edge surface; a second side edge oriented in a two-dimensional plane connecting the second end of the first arcuate edge and the second end of the second arcuate edge, the second side edge having a first end, a second end, and a second edge surface extending between the first end and the second end, the second edge surface comprised of a second linear segment extending along a portion of the second edge surface; and a conically-shaped shield extending between the first arcuate edge and the second arcuate edge and extending arcuately between the first side edge and the second side edge, the conically-shaped shield having a shield thickness, the conically-shaped shield comprised of a surface portion that extends arcuately from the first linear segment of the first edge surface to the second linear segment of the second edge surface, wherein the edge surface of the first arcuate edge includes a first arc segment and the edge surface of the second arcuate edge includes a second arc segment, wherein the arc segment of the edge surface of the first arcuate edge is part of a first ellipse, wherein the arc segment of the edge surface of the second arcuate edge is part of a second ellipse, and wherein the semi-minor axis of the first ellipse is greater than the semi-minor axis of the second ellipse.