Adjustable helmet for a hockey or lacrosse player

• US 10,292,449 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bauer Hockey, LLC
• Original Assignee: Bauer Hockey, LLC
• Inventors: Durocher, Jacques, Genereux, Marie-Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Ostrup, Clinton T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carter, Cameron A
• Application Number:
  US15/139,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20160235151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 2417, 2410, 2418, 2425, 2420
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/16 Ear protection devices
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/32 Collapsible helmets; Helmets made of separable parts ; Helmets with movable parts, e.g. adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/324 Adjustable helmets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/10 for the head A63B71/081 takes precedence ; in the form of caps or hats A42B1/08; helmets A42B3/00

Abstract

An adjustable helmet having first and second shells and a single actuator comprising at least one tooth, the single actuator being moveable between: a first locked position, wherein the at least one tooth retains the first and second shells and the first and second shells define a first hollow space; a released position, wherein the at least one tooth no longer retains the first and second shells such that one of the first and second shells is moveable relative to the other of the first and second shells; and a second locked position, wherein the at least one tooth retains the first and second shells and the first and second shells define a second hollow space, the second hollow space being different than the first hollow space.

Claims

1. An adjustable helmet having a front region, a rear region and a pair of opposite side regions, the helmet comprising:

a) a shell including;

i) a first shell portion;

ii) a second shell portion engaged with the first shell portion, the second shell portion having an outer side, an opposite inner side, and an aperture, said first and said second shell portions being movable one with relation to the other to adjust a fit of the helmet on the player'"'"'s head;

b) a locking assembly located in the rear region of the helmet, said locking assembly including;

i) an actuator mounted to the second shell portion, the actuator being movable between a locked position and a released position, the actuator residing on the second shell portion and registering with the aperture on the second shell portion;

ii) a backing member on the inner side of the second shell portion;

iii) an elongated band associated with the first shell portion and extending to the second shell portion such that relative movement between the first and the second shell portions produces a corresponding movement between the band and the backing member, the band being located between the second shell portion and the back member;

iv) the actuator being configured such that when the actuator moves toward the locked position, it extends into the aperture to interact with the elongated band to prevent the band from moving with relation to the backing member and prevent the first shell portion from moving with relation to the second shell portion;

v) the actuator being further configured such that when the actuator is moved toward the released position it moves out of the aperture at a top portion of the shell to enable the elongated band to move with relation to the backing member;

c) wherein the actuator is located centrally between the opposite side regions;

d) wherein the actuator is the sole actuator to perform an adjust of a position of said first and said second shell portions relative to one another to adjust a fit of the helmet on the player'"'"'s head.

2. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 1, wherein the second shell portion includes a recess for receiving the actuator, the actuator being configured to recede in the recess when the actuator acquires the locked position.

3. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 1, wherein the first shell portion is configured to cover at least partially a front region and side regions of a wearer'"'"'s head when the helmet is worn and the second shell portion is configured to cover at least partially a rear region of the wearer'"'"'s head when the helmet is worn.

4. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 1, wherein the actuator pivotally moves between the locked position and the released position.

5. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 4, wherein the actuator includes a tooth configured for engaging the elongated band through the aperture when the actuator is in the locked position.

6. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 5, wherein the tooth resides on the outer side of the second shell portion when the actuator is moved from the locked position to the released position.

7. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 5, wherein the actuator has a plurality of teeth configured for engaging the elongated band.

8. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 1, wherein the helmet has a longitudinal axis extending in a front-to-back direction of the helmet and a transversal axis extending transversally with relation to the longitudinal axis, the actuator pivotally moving between the locked position and the released position along an axis that extends generally along the transversal axis.

9. An adjustable helmet having a front region, a rear region and a pair of opposite side regions, the helmet comprising:

a) a shell including;

i) a first shell portion;

ii) a second shell portion engaged with the first shell portion, the second shell portion having an outer side, an opposite inner side, and an aperture, said first and said second shell portions being movable one with relation to the other to adjust a fit of the helmet on the player'"'"'s head;

b) a locking assembly located in the rear region of the helmet, said locking assembly including;

i) an actuator mounted to the second shell portion, the actuator being movable between a locked position and a released position, the actuator residing on the second shell portion and registering with the aperture on the second shell portion;

ii) a backing member on the inner side of the second shell portion;

iii) an elongated band associated with the first shell portion and extending to the second shell portion such that relative movement between the first and the second shell portions produces a corresponding movement between the band and the backing member, the band being located between the second shell portion and the backing member;

iv) the elongated band having a first face and an opposite second face, wherein the first face is oriented toward the backing member and the second face is oriented toward the inner side of the second shell portion;

v) the actuator being configured such that when the actuator moves toward the locked position, it extends into the aperture to interact with the elongated band through the second face of the elongated band to prevent the elongated band from moving with relation to the backing member and prevent the first shell portion from moving with relation to the second shell portion;

c) wherein the actuator is located centrally between the opposite side regions;

d) wherein the actuator is the sole actuator to perform an adjustment of a position of said first and said second shell portions relative to one another to adjust a fit of the helmet on the player'"'"'s head.

10. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 9, wherein the second shell portion includes a recess for receiving the actuator, the actuator being configured to recede in the recess when the actuator acquires the locked position.

11. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 9, wherein the first shell portion is configured to cover at least partially a front region and side regions of a wearer'"'"'s head when the helmet is worn and the second shell portion is configured to cover at least partially a rear region of the wearer'"'"'s head when the helmet is worn.

12. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 9, wherein the actuator pivotally moves between the locked position and the released position.

13. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 12, wherein the actuator includes a tooth configured for engaging the elongated band through the aperture when the actuator is in the locked position.

14. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 13, wherein the actuator has a plurality of teeth configured for engaging the elongated band.

15. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 13, wherein the tooth resides on the outer side of the second shell portion when the actuator is moved from the locked position to the released position.

16. An adjustable helmet as defined in claim 9, wherein the helmet has a longitudinal axis extending in a front-to-back direction of the helmet and a transversal axis extending transversally with relation to the longitudinal axis, the actuator pivotally moving between the locked position and the released position along an axis that extends generally along the transversal axis.