Patents Assigned to Bell Sports, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11758965
    Abstract: A helmet body includes an outer shell having an inner surface, an outer surface, and an outer shell lower edge extending between the inner surface and the outer surface, the outer shell further comprising at least two shoulder pad recesses positioned at a lower edge of the outer shell on a respective left and right sides of the helmet; and an energy management liner adjacent to the inner surface of the outer shell and comprising at least two shoulder pads formed of a foamed energy management material, each of the at least two shoulder pads received into one of the at least two shoulder pad recesses on the respective left or right side of the helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott S. Whitesell, Scott R. Allen, Christopher T. Pietrzak, Allen Bischofberger, Julio Valencia
  • Patent number: 11679743
    Abstract: A pump head configured to secure various air valve types is disclosed. The pump head may include a housing and an interior unit sized and shaped to receive a valve head. A moveable pin disposed within the housing coaxially with the first axis may define a pin notch disposed about an exterior circumference of the moveable pin. A first taper unit may be disposed in the housing coaxially with the first axis and coupled to the pin return spring. A second taper unit may be disposed in the housing coaxially with the first axis and adjacent to the first taper unit. An elastic taper C-ring may be disposed between the first and second taper units. The second taper unit is moveable towards the first taper unit, thereby compressing the elastic taper C-ring circumferentially in at least one of two positions, the elastic taper C-ring compressed about the pin notch in the first position and about the valve head in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen C. Park, Andy Yu Sang Chan
  • Patent number: 11678710
    Abstract: A closed face motorcycle helmet includes a shell with an eyeport and a shield attached for hinged or pivoted motion between a closed or lowered position covering and sealing the eyeport and an open position or raised position displaced above the eyeport. A hinge plate is attached to the shell on each side and includes a moving pivot socket into which a hub of the shield is rotatably disposed for hinged movement and rearward movement of the shield between the raised and lowered positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott S. Whitesell, Lawrence Broers
  • Patent number: 11672295
    Abstract: A helmet may include a helmet body, a fit system, a bezel, and a hardware retainer. The helmet body may have an outer shell and an energy management layer. The bezel may be separate from the outer shell and coupled to the helmet body at the vent opening of the helmet, encircle the vent opening, and have a hardware opening extending through the bezel and an anchor opening in the bezel adjacent the hardware opening. The hardware retainer may be positioned behind and coupled to the bezel. The hardware retainer may include a hardware receiving aperture aligned with the hardware opening and a hardware retainer cover coupled to a rear side of the hardware retainer. The hardware retainer may further include an anchor recess aligned with the anchor opening. The bezel may be in-molded into the energy management layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel J. Shaffer, Mark A. Busse, Rafael T. Ramirez
  • Patent number: 11660626
    Abstract: Disclosed are a pressure regulator for reciprocating pumps comprising an audible low pressure blow off and pumps comprising the pressure regulator. Also described is a pump comprising a larger diameter barrel with a higher volume for inflating an inflatable object at a lower pressure and a smaller diameter barrel with a lower volume for inflating an inflatable object at a higher pressure, wherein the pump is switchable to operate using either the larger diameter barrel or the smaller diameter barrel using a single lever attached to an end cap of the smaller diameter barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen C. Park
  • Patent number: 11647804
    Abstract: A helmet is disclosed for protection during an impact. An inner liner may slidably couple to the outer liner through at least one return spring. The outer liner includes an interior surface with a shelf extending inward. The shelf includes an arresting surface. The inner liner has an exterior surface, an interior surface and an edge connecting the exterior surface to the interior surface. The edge faces the arresting surface of the shelf. The inner liner is slidably movable relative to the outer liner between a first position in which the edge of the inner liner is separated from the arresting surface of the shelf by a first gap, and an arrested position in which a portion of the edge of the inner liner is in contact with a portion of the arresting surface of the shelf.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel J. Shaffer, Mark A. Busse, Rafael T. Ramirez, Eamon Briggs
  • Patent number: 11638457
    Abstract: A protective helmet having a protective shell, a low friction layer, and a comfort liner is disclosed. The protective shell includes an energy absorbing material and an inner surface. The low friction layer is coupled to the inner surface of the protective shell. The low friction layer may be plastic having a thickness of less than approximately 3 mm. The comfort liner is removably coupled to the low friction layer opposite the protective shell, and includes a low friction material, such as brushed nylon, adjacent the low friction liner. The comfort liner may be removably coupled protective shell with either clips that removably couple to receivers embedded in the brow of the helmet, with elastically deformable couplings that extend from the comfort liner to the protective shell, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael W. Lowe
  • Patent number: 11607000
    Abstract: A fit system for a helmet can include an adjuster including a width adjustment track, and first and second pods moveably coupled to the width adjustment track with a first and second support arm, the second pod comprising a lateral offset from the first pod. The fit system can further include a dial moveably coupled to the adjustor, such that movement of the dial changes a size of the lateral offset between the first pod and the second pod. The fit system can further include a hanger flexibly coupled to both the first pod and the second pod and adapted to allow for adjustment of the lateral offset between the first pod and the second pod. The hanger can further be adapted to allow for movement of the first pod and the second pod in a direction substantially perpendicular to the lateral offset without movement of the dial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Ben D. Pritz, Samuel J. Shaffer
  • Patent number: 11589629
    Abstract: A helmet may include an upper-body comprising a first outer shell coupled to a first energy-absorbing shell formed of expanded polypropylene (EPP), expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polyurethane (EPU), or expanded polyolefin (EPO). A lower-body may include a second outer shell coupled to a second energy-absorbing shell formed of EPP, EPS, EPU, or EPO, wherein an upper portion of the lower-body is nested within the upper-body and a lower portion of the lower-body extends to an outer surface of a lower portion of the upper-body. A strap anchor may be disposed between the upper-body and the lower-body, and be sandwiched between the upper-body and the lower-body with the strap anchor being adjacent to, and oriented towards, the lower-body. A strap may be coupled to the fastening device and coupled to the strap anchor for coupling the helmet to a head of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregg T. Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 11589631
    Abstract: A helmet body includes an outer shell and an energy management liner with an outer shell lower edge extending between the inner surface and the outer surface of the outer shell. At least two shoulder pad recesses are positioned at a lower edge of the outer shell on a respective left and right sides of the helmet. The energy management liner is adjacent to the inner surface of the outer shell and includes at least two shoulder pads formed of a foamed energy management material. Each of the at least two shoulder pads is received into one of the at least two shoulder pad recesses on the respective left or right side of the helmet, each shoulder pad extending from inside of the outer shell to across at least a majority of a width of the lower edge of the outer shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott S. Whitesell, Scott R. Allen, Christopher T. Pietrzak, Allen Bischofberger, Julio Valencia
  • Patent number: 11576455
    Abstract: A magnetic mechanical latching attachment for connecting goggles to a helmet includes a goggle attachment portion configured to mechanically and magnetically attach to a helmet attachment portion. The goggle attachment portion and helmet attachment portion include complimentary interlocking features that mechanically lock the portions together when attached and magnetic features that assist engagement of the complimentary interlocking features in a locked position. A related method of coupling goggles to a helmet, as well as a helmet-goggle attachment system, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott S. Whitesell, Timothy E. Piver
  • Patent number: 11540583
    Abstract: An impact attenuating helmet including an outer liner having an inner mating surface, an inner liner positioned under the outer liner and having an outer mating surface configured to be received by the inner mating surface of the outer liner, the inner liner and the outer liner being configured to move relative to each other along a slip plane between outer mating surface of the inner liner and the inner mating surface of the outer liner, and one or more securing attachments, each securing attachment being coupled to the outer liner and being configured to secure the outer liner to the inner liner, each securing attachment comprising a slack element configured to permit a range of movement between the outer liner and the inner liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventors: Paul A. Kele, David T. Debus
  • Patent number: 11517479
    Abstract: Goggles include a goggle frame, a goggle strap, and a goggle strap connector. The goggle strap has a direction of strap tension when the goggles are worn by a user. The goggle strap connector includes a female bracket and a male bracket. The female bracket is directly coupled to the goggle frame or the goggle strap, including first and second bracket walls, a channel defined between the bracket walls, projections, and recesses. The male bracket is configured to mateably couple to the female bracket, including a sliding bar and an enlarged bar end. First movement of the goggle strap in the strap tension direction may move at least one of the bar bumps of the enlarged bar end past at least one of the projections to position the at least one of the bar bumps within at least one of the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventors: Ximena Prugue, David M. Thompson
  • Patent number: 11510453
    Abstract: A helmet for protecting the head of a user may include at least one liner comprising an inner surface and a lower edge surrounding the inner surface at a helmet opening configured to receive a head of a helmet wearer. At least two coupling points may be located on the inner surface proximal to the lower edge. At least one flexible forehead strap may follow the lower edge of the energy management layer and may be inwardly offset from the inner surface. At least two prongs may be coupled to, and slidably extend between, the flexible forehead strap and the at least two coupling points, respectively. A continuous gap between the inner surface and the flexible forehead strap may be provided by an offset created by the at least two prongs, the at least two prongs flexibly maintaining the offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael J. Musal, Christopher T. Pietrzak
  • Patent number: D969410
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark D. Doublin
  • Patent number: D969413
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark D. Doublin
  • Patent number: D972225
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventor: Gregory J. Marting
  • Patent number: D975362
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventor: Gregory J. Marting
  • Patent number: D977198
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott S. Whitesell, Kyung Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: D994986
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul A. Kele, Gregory J. Marting