Patent ID: 8176574

Claim:
A protective helmet comprising: a front shell; and a rear shell which is pivoted with respect to the front shell to provide: an open configuration for receiving within the helmet or removing from the helmet a head; a closed configuration wherein the rear shell is releasably lockingly engaged to the front shell for securely containing the head within the helmet such that, when the helmet is in the closed configuration, a portion of the front shell wraps under the chin of the head such that the head is not able to be removed from the helmet; wherein the front shell includes a first fitting zone for engagement with the forehead region of the head; wherein the helmet includes a second fitting zone for engagement with a chin region of the head, wherein the second fitting zone is provided on an adjustable chin cup that is separate from the portion of the front shell that wraps under the chin and that is mounted via one or more fasteners to the front shell, for cupping and securing the chin region, and wherein there is a spacing intermediate the outer side of the chin cup and the portion of the front shell that wraps under the chin thereby to allow limited resiliently opposed movement of the jaw upon frontal impact when the helmet is in the closed configuration; and wherein the rear shell includes a third fitting zone for engagement with a posterior region of the head when the helmet is in the closed configuration thereby to provide a three zone fitting system for securely containing the head within the helmet.