A hardhat shell has a suspension that is secured to the shell by a hanger. The suspension has a horizontal band portion for extending around a user's head, and the suspension is positioned within a hardhat shell. At least one hanger is connected to the suspension for securing the suspension to the shell. Each hanger has a hook at a first end of the hanger, a latching surface located towards the middle of the hanger, and a lever arm at a second end of the hanger. At least one mount is formed on the inner surface of the shell. Each hanger is configured to securely engage a respective one of the mounts, with the latching surface of the respective hanger being in frictional engagement with the respective ledge surface of the mount. By manually pivoting the hanger, a user can cause the latching surface to disengage from the ledge surface.

The present application discloses a helmet, a helmet retention system, and a method of adjusting a helmet. In certain embodiments, the helmet comprises a helmet shell and a helmet retention system. The retention system comprises a rear portion connected to the rear of the helmet shell, first and second straps extending from the rear portion to a front portion of the helmet shell, and an adjustment device attached to the rear portion for adjusting the length of the first and second straps between the rear portion and the front portion of the helmet shell to tighten and loosen the straps about the head of the user. Each strap comprises a strap segment and an elongated member attached to the strap segment. The adjustment device is configured to selectively adjust the elongated member to move the first and second strap segments relative to the helmet shell.

Protective head gear comprising a lower front strap, an upper front strap, a right side strap, and a left side strap. The right side strap comprises a right pivot point. The left side strap comprises a left pivot point. The lower front strap comprises a lower left attachment point that is pivotally attached to the left pivot point on the left side strap. The upper front strap comprises an upper left attachment point that is also pivotally attached to the left pivot point on the left side strap. The lower front strap comprises a lower right attachment point that is pivotally attached to the right pivot point on the right side strap. The upper front strap comprises an upper right attachment point that is also pivotally attached to the right pivot point on the right side strap.

A headgear for a head safety product such as a face shield, hardhat or welding helmet includes a headband with hangers extending therefrom to engage the head safety product being worn, at least one crown strap engaged with the headband to support the headgear over the wearer's head and a self-adjusting elastomeric nape belt configured to extend over the occipital portions of the wearer's head. The elastomeric nape belt depends from symmetric rear strap extensions of the headband and is configured to elastically self-adjust to the occipital area of the wearer's head.

A headgear for a head safety product such as a face shield, hardhat or welding helmet includes a headband with hangers extending therefrom to engage the head safety product being worn, at least one crown strap engaged with the headband to support the headgear over the wearer's head and a self-adjusting elastomeric nape belt configured to extend over the occipital portions of the wearer's head. The elastomeric nape belt depends from symmetric rear strap extensions of the headband and is configured to elastically self-adjust to the occipital area of the wearer's head.

The disclosure provides a ballistic helmet and a method of assembling a ballistic helmet that includes a helmet shell and a harness connected to the helmet shell. The helmet shell includes a front portion and a rear portion. The harness includes a nape pad, a tensioner disposed on the nape pad, a plurality of securement straps, and a tension cable. The plurality of securement straps are connected to the nape pad and are configured to fasten to the rear portion of the helmet shell. The tension cable is selectively adjustable by the tensioner and is configured to fasten to the front portion of the helmet shell.

The present invention provides a helmet, comprising first and second components having a sliding interface between them, wherein the sliding interface is provided between respective sliding surfaces of the first and second components, and the first component comprises (a) a mixture of (i) an olefin polymer, (ii) a lubricant, and optionally one or more further agents; or (b) an ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) polymer having a density of ≤960 kg/m.sup.3, which UHMW polymer is preferably an olefin polymer.

The present invention provides a helmet, comprising first and second components having a sliding interface between them, wherein the sliding interface is provided between respective sliding surfaces of the first and second components, and the first component comprises (a) a mixture of (i) an olefin polymer, (ii) a lubricant, and optionally one or more further agents; or (b) an ultra high molecular weight (UHMW) polymer having a density of ≤960 kg/m.sup.3, which UHMW polymer is preferably an olefin polymer.

A nape pad for use with a helmet, the nape pad comprising: a base comprised of a rigid material and having an outer surface and an inner surface, a left side and a right side, and a top edge and a bottom edge, the outer surface being generally convex from the left side to the right side and having an upper portion proximate the top edge and a lower portion proximate the bottom edge, the upper portion being generally smooth and configured to extend into and slide along an inner surface of the helmet, the inner surface of the base being generally concave from the left side to the right side; a fastener coupled to the lower portion of the base and configured to releasably couple to a retention system of the helmet; and at least one compressible comfort pad coupled to the inner surface of the base.

A protective helmet includes a plurality of fluid filled bladders, impact sensors, valves, and pumps wherein the helmet absorbs energy from an impact to protect a person wearing the helmet from traumatic brain injury. The bladders expel fluid in response to a triggering event such as energy from an impact detected as a pressure spike event and/or detected as an acceleration event. A selected bladder may expel fluid to other bladders, to a reservoir, to the environment outside of the protective helmet, or combinations thereof. In embodiments where the bladders need additional fluid after an impact, one or more pumps may refill selected deflated bladders. When a bladder is underinflated, an indicator light may emit light on an outer surface of the protective helmet to warn that the bladder is not yet ready to be placed in operation to absorb another impact.