A head covering to reduce the force from an external surface on the head of an individual. The head covering is formed from thin polymeric tubes that are inflated by blowing via lung exhalation. The head covering is light weight and can be folded into a small in volume such that it is easily carried in a shirt or pant pocket.

A protective helmet includes an energy dissipative assembly including a conforming protective base adapted to directly contact and conform to a corresponding bony anatomical region of a wearer's head. A supported flexible suspended crown adapted to be affixed to the conforming protective base and configured to define a gap separating substantially all of the interior surface of the supported flexible suspended crown from contact with a corresponding anatomical crown region of the wearer when the helmet is donned by the wearer. The supported flexible suspended crown including at least one contoured flexible shell or a plurality of cantilevered members comprising a compliant energy dissipating material that, when impacted, undergoes deformation to an extent that is greater than deformation, when impacted, of the deformation resistant material of the conforming protective base. An uncoupled cantilevered posterior cranial shield system includes a yoke configured to attach to or be integrated with shoulder pads or another garment and an attenuating cantilevered arch attached to the yoke at first and second emplacements, the attenuating cantilevered arch being configured to extend over a head of an individual wearing the shoulder pads or garment.

An improved padding system for a helmet and process for designing the padding system are described. In one example, a helmet for an individual can include an outer shell having an inner surface. The helmet can further include a padding system coupled to the inner surface. The padding system can include pad clusters that are respectively positioned at different locations on the inner surface. Each of the pad clusters can include discrete pads that are individually coupled to the inner surface in a defined arrangement. In one example, the defined arrangement can be a certain arrangement that allows the discrete pads to collectively provide a desired system stiffness for the padding system. The desired system stiffness in this example can be a certain system stiffness that can reduce at least one of peak linear or peak rotational accelerations to the head of the individual during an impact.

A soft-sided helmet may comprise a ventilation system having at least two radial vents, including a first radial vent and a second radial vent; at least a first air channel connecting the first radial vent to at least one other radial vent; and at least a second air channel connecting the second radial vent to at least one other radial vent. The first radial vent may oppose the second radial vent. The ventilation system may further comprise further radial vents, which optionally may be connected to each other via one or more air channels.

A flex cell for absorbing energy from an applied force includes a panel attached to a flex cage. The flex cage is made from a resilient material that allows deformation of the flex cage when a force is applied to the flex cell. The flex cell is attachable to a support surface. In some instances, the flex cell is detached from the support surface when sufficient force is applied to the flex cell.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for use in reducing the impact to the head during sporting activities. The present disclosure provides a helmet cap that covers an underlying hard shell helmet. The helmet cap has a durable, energy absorbing outer shell, which lessens the initial impact to the helmet. The outer shell is formed into segments of padded material that may deform on impact. The outer shell has an inner surface that allows the outer shell to slide over the surface of a helmet thereby reducing forces applied to a wearer. The helmet cap may be securely attached to helmets without modification of the helmets. The helmet cap may include an adjustable fastener that allows the helmet cap to be securely attached to helmets of varying dimensions.

A dual functioning head protection device for a fall prone user including a c-shaped neck collar that is configured to compress the jugular veins of the user during application to the user's neck and an expandable airbag helmet that is removably affixed to the collar. The airbag helmet includes an inflatable inner bag surrounded by an outer bag, such that the structure of the outer bag defines a shape of the airbag helmet when the inner bag is inflated. The inner bag includes a number of chambers which inflate to protect the user's skull during a fall. A trigger device in the collar detects if the user is falling and inflates the airbag helmet in such instances. This dual functioning device also protects the user's brain from brain slosh because of the collar's compression of the user's jugular veins. Compression of the vein sends blood into the skull with each fall impact, which reduces the brain's freedom to jostle around in the skull in a fall.

A safer football helmet including a soft shell not covering an underlying rigid shell, and thereby tending to minimize otherwise-injurious radial forces acting upon the head on contact. Preferably, the soft shell is a fabric-covered, padded material. The soft shell includes a portion that extends substantially over the forehead, and also includes opposing portions lapping over the jaw area to edges of the mouth.

The protective helmet may comprise a flexible protective helmet that includes a plurality of impact zones that could be particularized to a specific occupation, sport, player-position and/or the individual behavior of a specific player. The protective helmet comprising a plurality of impact mitigation pads coupled to a flexible liner may easily conform to a head of wearer. The different embodiments comprise elements to provide a padded protective helmet that is flexible or semi-flexible, light-weight and adapted to reduce the risk of head trauma due to the multi-layered padded configuration.

A device for fixing to a helmet is described. The helmet includes a shell portion configured to receive a user's head, and the device includes a leaf spring for coupling to the shell portion and configured to dissipate impact forces. A helmet including such device is further described.