JPS588856B2 - Yakiyuyou Helmet Tsutonado Noganmenhogog - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In all sports, but especially in baseball, which is played by young people, there is a serious problem due to accidents resulting in facial injuries due to the force of the hit ball or the ball.

The prior art generally provides a variety of face protectors for use with batter's helmets, etc., which utilize relatively rigid protective elements that are secured to the helmet and thus deflect balls or pitches away from the wearer's face. useful for.

Representative prior art patents include U.S. Patent No. 3,06
No. 7,427 and other prior art are directed to protective mask structures of this type that can be used without removing the helmet.

Representative face masks include U.S. Patent No. 3,19
6,4 8 5, 2,6 1 6,0 8 1 and 1,4 8 8,8 1 2, but typically face masks used in conjunction with such face masks and helmets are The protective equipment is suitable for the protection of only the batter or catcher and is not worn on the field as traditional face masks or protective equipment are bulky to handle, undesirable in appearance, or have the effect of undesirably obscuring the player's view. It is undesirable as a headrest.

Additionally, prior art face protection used in conjunction with helmets protected the eyes, nose, and mouth, but did not adequately protect the chin and neck areas.

Furthermore, these robust face protections were generally attached at only one location on each side of the helmet.

Therefore, the impact transmitted by the impact of the ball is concentrated in a relatively narrow area of the helmet, resulting in injury to the wearer.

These strong face protectors of the past were made of nylon, cast aluminum, etc., and were characterized by frequent breakage and breakage at the point where they connected to the helmet.

The present invention particularly relates to a lightweight, high-visibility protective face protector for baseball helmets made of relatively thin cross-section plastic with high impact strength.

A connection point with the helmet to transmit high impact forces from the protective equipment to the helmet in a manner that reduces the forces experienced at any one point on the skull by distributing the impact forces over a wide area of the helmet. The face protector is combined with a mechanical coupling means.

In a preferred embodiment, the face protector of the present invention is fastened to the inside of the earmuff of a helmet, with the uppermost edge of the protector preferably below the line of sight of the wearer.

The present invention uses polycarbonate, a plastic with the high impact strength found in ABS monomers, and reinforces it with a novel design that has different curvature surfaces as well as bulges at the edges of the protector.

Adjacent to the connection point between the improved face protection and the earmuff of the helmet, a rib structure is provided that corresponds to the adjacent curvature of the earmuff of the helmet.

When a ball strikes the face protector of the present invention, the impact force is transmitted substantially along the length of the rib structure to the earmuff of the helmet, thus distributing the force evenly over a large area of the helmet. be done.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a protective face protector with good visibility for use by baseball players, especially young people playing small league games, other baseball games, and football.

Other purposes include providing protection for riot helmets, hockey helmets, etc., which can cause facial injuries from hard strikes from balls, throwing equipment, bats, sticks, etc.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a strong and lightweight helmet that mechanically distributes the impact force received by the face protector over a wide area of the helmet and reduces the force applied to any one point on the skull. The goal is to provide face protection.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a helmet face protector that protects the upper part of the throat in addition to protecting the face.

Referring to FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment the present invention is directed to a protective face shield, generally designated 10, for use with a baseball helmet 12 or the like (shown in phantom).

Suitable helmets are, for example, of the type produced by the Little League Company of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, as a designated headpiece for small league batters, which are available from a number of well-known manufacturers. It is.

Typically, such a baseball helmet 12 includes a padded dome portion 15, eyelets 16, padded earmuffs 18, and a chinstrap 21.

In the preferred installation position, the face protector of the present invention is secured to the baseball helmet 12 in such a manner that the uppermost edge 20 of the face protector 10 lies below the wearer's normal line of sight.

Additionally, the uppermost edge 20 of the face protector 10 cooperates with the helmet bulge 16 such that the distance D is always less than or equal to the diameter of the ball and is sufficient to prevent a fly ball from striking the upper part of the wearer's face. value.

It should be noted that although the description herein primarily relates to the sport of baseball, the distance D can be adjusted accordingly for use in other forms of competition, such as ice hockey, lacroix, etc.

It should be noted that the face protector 10 has a substantial amount of surface area as shown in FIG. 1 to provide a large area of facial protection.

Therefore, the face protector 10 is made of, for example, polycarbonate,
Preferably, it is made of a transparent, high-impact plastic material that provides good visibility for the wearer, such as ABS monomer.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the face protector 10 includes a specially curved first curved surface 25 designed to protect the mouth, nose and cheeks. Curved surface 25
The central body portion 2 includes a specially curved second curved surface 26 extending downwardly and angled slightly towards the rear force and further designed to protect the rear and lower pallet areas.
2 is included.

each with a suitable hole 29 and a face protector 10, as will be explained later.
Also included is a pair of specially shaped end pieces 28 with force-transmitting ribs 11 for fixing the padded earmuffs 18 to the inside or outside.

A breathing hole 30 is provided at the center of the first curved surface 25.

The breathing port 30 primarily serves to provide an adequate supply of oxygen to the wearer, and is sufficient to insert the opening of a soft drink bottle to allow the wearer to drink without removing the face protector, if desired. It's getting bigger.

The vent 30 also acts as a drip barrier so as not to interfere with the clarity of the bright plastic face protector.

Breathing port shapes other than the rectangular shape shown and multiple breathing ports can be provided with minor modifications known to those skilled in the art.

In a preferred form of the invention, the uppermost edge 37 and the lowermost edge 38 of the face protector 10 are each provided with reinforcing beads.

The beads used are preferably twice the average thickness of the face protector 10 and can include an auxiliary bead that slides over each base edge, or can be formed in one piece as shown.

The use of such beads allows the present invention to e.g.
Relatively thin sheets of plastic, 57 cm (0.06 2 in) thick, can be used and still be resistant to destruction when struck by a ball traveling at high speeds, say 192 km/h (120 mph). Sufficient structural integrity can be maintained to prevent

It is important that the top edge bead 41 also have sufficient circumferential strength to prevent it from bending or "contacting" the face when the face protector 10 collides with an object, such as a baseball.

Similarly, the breathing port 30 is provided with a reinforcing bead 43 in the preferred embodiment best shown in FIG. Prevents cracks or breakage from occurring in the center of the tool.

With further reference to the foregoing, FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate exemplary cross-sectional views of the bead 41 at the top edge of each face protector and the bead 42 at the bottom edge of the face protector.

In the present invention, since the lowermost edge of the face protector 10 is exposed when the player puts on and takes off his helmet, a smooth bead is used for at least that edge, so it is not angular or sharp. It should not be on the edges.

Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, as previously discussed, the face protector 10 of the present invention includes specially curved first and second curved surfaces.

Preferably, the first curved surface 25 is formed to have a substantially semicircular curvature as indicated by 25' in FIG.

Preferably, second curved surface 26 is formed to have a substantially parabolic curvature as indicated by 26' in FIG.

The second curved surface 26 is preferably further adapted to include a relatively flat central portion 33 for chin protection, best shown in FIG. 2, etc., which central portion may be padded if desired. A teardrop-shaped inwardly curved portion 34 is preferably formed adjacent to the flat central portion to increase strength.

9-9, 10-10 and 11-11 showing the relative shape and curvature of a typical internal curved portion 28; Please draw particular attention to FIGS.

Minor modifications in the shape of the first curved surface and the second curved surface disclosed above can be used to form the face protector of the present invention, and if a thicker plastic is used, reinforcing beads may be used separately. There's no need.

However, the combination of the aforementioned different first and second curved surfaces and the reinforcing peas effectively strengthens the face protector of the present invention, making it possible to utilize a relatively thin plastic sheet to create a lightweight but extremely strong face protector. It is possible to form ingredients.

Continuing with the description, the present invention provides an improved mechanism for transmitting and distributing impact forces from the face protector to the helmet that relies on a novel configuration of securing the face protector 10 of the present invention to the ear flaps 18 of the helmet. It is something to do.

Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, the terminal member 28
A specially shaped force-transmitting rib 11 is formed on each end member 28 of the face protection in close proximity to the fixation area of the padded earmuffs 18 of the helmet.

Each force transmitting rib 11 is shaped to substantially correspond to the curvature of the front edge 14 of the helmet earmuff (see FIG. 1), as best shown in FIGS. 18 and 21. The novel coupling means 19 are adapted to abut said front edge 14 when the face protector 10 is secured to the baseball helmet 12.

The force transmitting ribs 11 can be formed on one side of the face protector 10, depending on whether it is desired to secure the end piece 28 to the outside or inside of the padded earmuff 18 of the helmet.

It should also be noted that each end piece is also formed with a vertical curved step (not shown) to provide a force transmitting surface equal to the force transmitting rib 11.

Here, referring to FIGS. 15 and 18, which show the terminal component 28 installation structure in a preferred embodiment in which the face protector of the present invention is installed on the inner surface of the padded earmuff 18 of a helmet, each terminal component 28 A hole 29 is drilled in the hole 29 for receiving the new quick-tie means 19.

Connecting means 19 includes a specially formed T-nut 45, bolt 46 and washer 47 best shown in FIGS. 24 and 25.
including.

The assembled connection means 19 secure the terminal part 28 of the face protection to the padded earmuff 18 of the helmet, but prevent the two terminal parts 28 and the padded earmuff 18 from being firmly fixed together. It's so suitable.

This novel device prevents rigid fixation over a relatively small area of plastic materials, such as preferred polycarbonates, thus weakening the connection or reducing the possibility of lower temperatures of the material during fully rigid fixation. do not cause a flow of

Referring to FIGS. 24 and 25, "T" according to the present invention
The nut includes a head portion 55 and a handle portion 53.

The head portion 55 is provided with a pair of pins 52 that are relatively small and round.

During tightening of the coupling means 19, the pin 52 is seated in a recess 2T formed in each end piece 28 adjacent to each hole 29 for the purpose of preventing rotation of the T-nut 45 while it is being tightened. Compatible.

The handle portion 53 is adapted to correspond to the diameter of the hole 29 and its length is equal to the combined thickness of the end piece 28 and the stuffed earmuff 18.

Thus, bolt 46 and washer 47 are seated on T-nut 45, effectively preventing bolt 46 from over-tightening the face protector to the baseball helmet.

In particular, it is noted in FIG. 19 that a snap portion 48 can additionally be secured to the connecting means 19 in order to enable the snap-fitting of the chinstrap shown in FIG.

A pair of connecting means 19 are utilized on each end piece 28 to prevent rotation of the face protector of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 21, 22 and 23, in another embodiment, the face protection of the present invention is adapted to be placed on the outside of a padded earmuff 18 of a helmet.

In this particular embodiment, the end piece 28 receives a specially curved force transmitting rib 11 along its inner surface opposite to that shown in FIG. The front edge 14 of 18 abuts.

A comparison of FIGS. 20 and 23, which separately illustrate the two previously described embodiments, shows that the impact force on the face protector of the present invention is as effective as in either of the previously described installation embodiments. It will be clear that the force is transmitted via the force transmitting ribs 11 to a significant area of the padded earmuff 18 of each helmet.

By utilizing the force transmitting ribs for the purpose of transmitting the impact force, the connecting means 19 is essentially only needed to support the weight of the face protector 10 and absorb the stress caused by dropping the helmet, for example. and maintain the face protection in a stationary position relative to the helmet.

Based on the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides an extremely strong yet lightweight face protector for baseball helmets and the like.

Substantial protection of the face is provided by a novel design that structurally features reinforcement and reinforcement of the face protector.

Moreover, through the novel configuration of mounting the face protector of the present invention on a helmet, the impact force is transmitted to a wide area of the helmet.

At the same time, a visually superior and substantially bright face protector is provided for headgear for use by batters as well as infielders and outfielders.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a protective face shield constructed in accordance with the present invention shown in position on a typical baseball helmet (shown in phantom); FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the face protector of the present invention showing typical breathing holes, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the face protector of the present invention showing drawing lines of various cross sections of the face protector. FIG. 4 is a side view of the face protector of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a true perspective view in plan showing the full curvature of the face protector. FIG. 6 is a true perspective view from the bottom showing the full curvature of the face protector. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the hardening bead along the upper edge of the face protector of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the hardening bead along the bottom edge of the face protector of the present invention. FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 illustrate the individual cross-sectional lines 9--9 shown in FIG. 1 0-10 and 1 1-1 1
A cross-sectional view of. Figure 12 is a sectional view of the face protector of the present invention showing details of the breathing holes, and Figure 13 is a vertical view of the face protector of the present invention showing the curvature close to the point of attachment to the earmuff of the helmet. A cross-sectional view. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the face protector of the present invention showing a force transmitting rib member. FIG. 15 is a partial side view of the present invention showing details of the configuration of holes for attaching the face protector of the present invention to the ear flaps of a helmet. FIG. 16 is a partial side view of the face protector of the present invention, showing the configuration of another attachment hole for attaching the face protector of the present invention to the ear flap of a helmet. FIG. 17 shows a notched recess device provided to prevent the tightening device used for fixing the face protector of the present invention to a helmet from rotating during tightening. Partial cross-section of the pore configuration. FIG. 18 is a partial side view showing typical details of installing the face protection device of the present invention inside a helmet with a suitable fastening device. FIG. 19 shows a detail of the fastening device for securing the face protection device of the invention inside the ear flap of a helmet. 19 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 19-19 shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 20 shows a detail of a force-transmitting rib structure used to distribute force over a wide area of a helmet earmuff when the face protection device of the present invention is installed inside the earmuff of a helmet. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 20-20 shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 21 is a partial side view showing typical details of installing the face protection device of the present invention on the outside of a helmet with a suitable fastening device; FIG. 22 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 22--22 of FIG. 21 showing details of a fastening device used to secure the face protector of the present invention on the outside of a helmet earmuff; . FIG. 23 shows a detail of a force transmitting rib structure used to distribute force over a large area of a helmet earmuff when a face protector is installed on the outside of a helmet earmuff; FIG. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 23-23 shown in the figure. FIG. 24 is a plan view of a T-nut used for fastening the face protector of the present invention to the ear flaps of a helmet. FIG. 25 is a side view of a T-nut showing a protrusion that engages a recess adjacent to a face protector attachment hole while securing the face protector to the earmuff of a helmet; 10... Face protector, 19... Connecting means, 25... First curved surface, 26... Second curved surface, 28... terminal parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A helmet of one-piece construction having a protective dome, a collar, and a pair of ear flaps, each ear flap having a forward and outwardly curved edge and a plurality of holes behind said edge. (a) (1) A face protector used in a game involving a ball, etc., in combination with: mouth,
an upper portion that protects the nose and cheeks, and (2) a generally outwardly curved portion that extends downwardly from the first portion and extends rearwardly at an angle and is integrally formed with the first portion. (b) a relatively thin, lightweight sheet of transparent thermoplastic molding material having a lower portion that protects the wearer's chin and lower pallet portion having a predetermined outer surface that is opposite to said first and second curved portions; a plurality of terminal parts each having a plurality of mounting holes provided at each side end and formed integrally with the above-mentioned both parts; and an earmuff of a helmet in which the terminal parts are curved outward at the front part. forming an inwardly curved force transmission and distribution raised surface that mates with the edge, and a plurality of mounting holes of the terminal piece are provided behind the raised surface and are therefore aligned with the helmet ear holes. (c) coupling means mounted within the holes and securing the end pieces of said face protector adjacent to the ear flaps of said helmet; and said end pieces of each inwardly curved face protector; a force transmitting raised surface matingly engages a respective one edge of the outwardly curved edge of the helmet earmuff and is secured at a plurality of points behind the raised surface; and engaging one of the two parts so as to transmit the impact force of the sports equipment through the engaged curved end part and the ear pad surface of the helmet.