A protective sports helmet that includes a chin strap system that allows for rapid, one-handed adjustment of the chin strap by the player while the helmet is worn is provided. The chin strap assembly includes a protective chin cup and a pair of straps extending from opposed sides of the chin cup and having a plurality of securing elements. The assembly also includes a pair of adjustable connectors affixed to the helmet and that include a central opening that receives an extent of the strap and a depressible lever that engages the securing elements. The adjustable connector allows movement of the strap in a first direction, and prevents movement of the strap in a second direction when the lever and securing elements are engaged. The adjustable connector allows movement of the strap in both the first and second directions when the lever is not engaged with the securing elements. When the strap is sufficiently loosened, but not disengaged from the connectors, the helmet can be removed from the player's head.

A helmet includes a shell having an interior surface, a padding disposed along the interior surface of the shell, and a chinbar. The padding defines a first engagement surface positioned at a first lateral side of the padding and a second engagement surface positioned at an opposing second lateral side of the padding. The chinbar includes a cage, a first flange, and a second flange. The cage includes a first end defining a third engagement surface and a second end defining a fourth engagement surface. The third engagement surface interfaces with the first engagement surface and the fourth engagement surface interfaces with the second engagement surface. The first flange extends from the first end of the cage. The second flange extends from the second end of the cage. The first flange and the second flange of the chinbar are embedded within the padding.

A helmet includes a shell having an interior surface, a padding disposed along the interior surface of the shell, and a chinbar. The padding defines a first engagement surface positioned at a first lateral side of the padding and a second engagement surface positioned at an opposing second lateral side of the padding. The chinbar includes a cage, a first flange, and a second flange. The cage includes a first end defining a third engagement surface and a second end defining a fourth engagement surface. The third engagement surface interfaces with the first engagement surface and the fourth engagement surface interfaces with the second engagement surface. The first flange extends from the first end of the cage. The second flange extends from the second end of the cage. The first flange and the second flange of the chinbar are embedded within the padding.

A personal protection system for providing a sterile barrier around medical/surgical personnel. The system includes a helmet over which a hood or a toga suspended. A microphone, an amplifier and a speaker are mounted to the helmet. Speech of the individual wearing the personal protection system is picked up by the microphone and amplified speech is broadcast by the speaker. The speaker is outwardly directed so as to broadcast the speech out through the hood or toga covering the helmet.

Pads on an interior of a helmet contact portions of a wearer's head to secure the helmet to the wearer's head. To simplify removal of the helmet from the wearer's head, an exterior surface of a helmet includes an opening and a pad, or a receptacle plate to which a pad is coupled, includes a fastener opening. The opening in the helmet and the fastener opening in the pad are aligned and a fastener is inserted into the opening in the helmet so fastener is also inserted to the fastener opening in the pad, securing the pad to an interior surface of the helmet. To remove the pad from the interior of the helmet, the fastener is removed from the fastener opening in the pad. As the fastener is accessible from the exterior surface of the helmet, the pad may be removed with minimal movement of the wearer's head.

A contact surface, such as a seating surface on a mandible guard is adjustable such that variations in helmet geometry and/or mandible geometry can be accommodated. The mandible guard may be fixedly attached to a helmet with an attachment arm, yet be configured to permit adjustment of the height of the contact surface to reduce or eliminate a gap between the helmet and a guard portion of the mandible guard. A tilt arrangement may be provided between the attachment arm and the guard portion of the mandible guard to allow a wearer to adjust a pitch angle of the guard portion relative to the attachment arm.

A protective football helmet is provided having a face guard mounting system with at least one pair of opposed recessed mounting regions that ensure a low-profile mounting arrangement for a face guard to the helmet. The recessed mounting regions are formed in both the inner and outer surfaces of the helmet shell along a frontal opening in the shell. As a result of the streamlined frontal appearance provided by the face guard mounting system, the width of the face guard closely corresponds to the width of the helmet at the recessed mounting regions.

A helmet earpiece is provided which includes a body, a first feature configured to fit with a complimentary first feature associated with a helmet, and a second feature configured to fit with a complimentary second feature associated with the helmet. The first and second features on the body may be configured to fit with the respective complimentary first and second features associated with the helmet to mount the helmet earpiece to the helmet. The first feature may include an opening, and a lock adjacent the opening. The lock has an unlocked position and a locked position, where in the unlocked position, the opening may be configured to receive the complimentary first feature associated with the helmet, and in the locked position, the lock may be configured to retain the complimentary first feature in the opening.

A helmet earpiece is provided which includes a body, a first feature configured to fit with a complimentary first feature associated with a helmet, and a second feature configured to fit with a complimentary second feature associated with the helmet. The first and second features on the body may be configured to fit with the respective complimentary first and second features associated with the helmet to mount the helmet earpiece to the helmet. The first feature may include an opening, and a lock adjacent the opening. The lock has an unlocked position and a locked position, where in the unlocked position, the opening may be configured to receive the complimentary first feature associated with the helmet, and in the locked position, the lock may be configured to retain the complimentary first feature in the opening.

A helmet includes the first pad in contact with an occipital region of a rider, and each of the second pads in contact with the cheeks of the rider. Since the first pad moves from the first occipital region-contact position to the second occipital region-contact position as well as the second pad moves from the first cheek-contact position to the second cheek-contact position, the helmet is moved relative to the rider's head by a predetermined distance.