A protective football helmet is provided having a one-piece molded shell with an impact attenuation system. This system includes an impact attenuation member formed in an extent of the front shell portion by removing material from the front portion. The impact attenuation member is purposely engineered to change how the front portion responds to an impact force applied substantially normal to the front portion as compared to how other portions of the shell respond to that impact force. In one version, the impact attenuation member is a cantilevered segment formed in the front portion of the shell.

A helmet may include a shell defining a cavity to receive a user's head. The shell may include a shell outer surface and a receiving area recessed into the shell outer surface. A liner may be within the cavity and coupled to the shell. A facemask may be coupled to the shell. A front bumper may be coupled to the shell and the liner. The front bumper may extend from within the cavity to an exterior of the shell. The front bumper may be positioned at least partially within the receiving area of the shell.

A chin strap includes a protective shell including a curved and convex contour extending between lengthwise ends of the shell, the shell further including a first curved edge extending between the lengthwise ends of the shell and a second curved edge extending between the lengthwise ends of the shell. A cross-section along a lengthwise central axis of the chin strap defines a first shell portion including the first curved edge and a second shell portion including the second curved edge. The first shell portion of the cross-section defines a first surface area between the lengthwise central axis and the first curved edge, and the second shell portion of the cross-section defines a second surface area between the lengthwise central axis and the second curved edge, where the first surface area is less than the second surface area.

A mandible shield comprises at least one panel having a peripheral edge, an inner surface, and an outer surface. The at least one panel is comprised of a ballistics material. A frame is coupled to the at least one panel and covers the peripheral edge of the at least one panel. The frame has at least one window exposing at least a portion of the outer surface of the at least one panel. The frame is configured to at least partially extend over a mandible of a user when the frame is coupled to opposing lateral sides of a helmet.

The present disclosure is directed to a physiological and neurological monitoring apparatus that monitors and satisfies the need for an improved buffer between the skull of a user and the impacting object so as to minimize the likelihood of neck and cranial injury. Further the helmet comprises a facemask for prevent concussions by absorbing the energy from an impact and redirecting the energy across the structure of the helmet shell. The embodiment comprises a helmet shell with elongated cheek guards and an elongated rear neck guard which follows the contour of the user's shoulder line and continues sufficiently below the head of said user to cover the rear neck of the user. These additions help prevent concussions by providing a larger surface of protection to especially weak areas that are prone to injury such as the rear of the neck and the lower jaw line.

This invention relates generally to the field of headgear, and, more particularly, to a headgear safety apparatus in the form of a single contiguous and homogeneous pad, having an inner surface, wherein said inner surface is substantially concave; an outer surface, wherein said outer surface is substantially convex; and a one or more safety features. The single contiguous and homogeneous pad is manufactured from closed-cell, ethylene vinyl acetate foam using an injection molding process to create integrated safety features in a single, anti-microbial, safety pad that protects the wearer but does not cover the ears.

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 quick fastening and disconnecting buckle fastener system is configured for improved ease of one handed adjustment. For reliable locking, and convenient operation the system incorporates lateral pivoting latches assembled within a receiving enclosure shell having entry and exit openings accommodating a lengthwise semi rigid insertion structure containing lateral opposing ridges. Said ridges cooperate with said latches in a manner allowing ease of continued entry directional movement and securely locking should motion be reversed. Purposeful disconnection is activated thru simultaneous press in of side levers releasing latch locking of insertion structure thereby allowing movement in a reversed direction. Use of aforementioned fastening device removes need for having to re-lace belt thru attachment loops or additional sliding hardware as means of adjustment.

The invention belongs to the technical field of helmets and relates to a helmet with a transformable jaw protecting structure, wherein a jaw protector is reliably transformed between a full-face helmet position and a half-face helmet position in a gear constraint structure and mode, and the uniqueness and reversibility of a kinematical and geometrical locus of the jaw protector can be kept everywhere during a round trip. The helmet according to the invention has the greatest advantages that: the integrity of a whole structure of the mount and the jaw protector can be kept while implementing a transformable jaw protecting structure of the helmet in the meanwhile, thus ensuring that these core members have higher intensity and rigidity, and effectively enhancing the use safety of the helmet; in addition, an exposed slit may be dramatically reduced or even completely eliminated, buzzing noises derived by flowing an air current through a helmet housing surface and rainwater invasion may be significantly reduced, and a wearing comfort of the helmet is effectively improved; and besides, the difficulty in assembling the mount and the jaw protector is reduced and a precise gear engagement and constraint structure is adopted, so that the quality reliability of a helmet product can be effectively improved.

The present invention is a helmet apparatus configured to accommodate multiple impact hits thereafter retaining usability, with the helmet including an outer shell that is divided into a posterior and an anterior portion, further the outer shell is divided into a left and a right portion, the shell is rigid except for a first relatively less rigid portion that is disposed within the posterior portion straddling the left and right portions, and a second relatively less rigid portion disposed within the anterior portion straddling the left and right portions. Further a flexible channel is disposed along a shell major and minor axes, also a series of fluid bladder layers slidably engaged to one another are disposed on the inside of the shell, wherein the first, second, and channel less rigid portions along with the slidable bladders absorb kinetic energy impacts to the shell reducing energy transfer to the user's head.