Patents Assigned to Bell Sports, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11266196
    Abstract: A helmet and method for forming a helmet having a multi-density impact liner may include forming a puck comprising an interface surface and at least one side is formed. The interface surface of the puck is placed in direct contact with a receiving surface of a cap located in an impact liner mold. Next, the interface surface of the puck is thermally fused directly to the receiving surface of the cap while contemporaneously an impact liner body is formed inside the mold. The impact liner body is fused to the at least one side of the puck, and to a majority of the receiving surface of the cap. The density of the puck may be greater than the density of the impact liner body. The puck and the impact liner body may be expanded polystyrene (EPS), and the cap may be polycarbonate (PC).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel J. Shaffer, Benjamin W. Penner
  • Patent number: 11235738
    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. A lock arm may be configured to engage the first taper unit with the second taper unit, thereby compressing the elastic taper C-ring circumferentially in one of at least 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 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen C. Park, Andy Yu Sang Chan
  • Publication number: 20220000208
    Abstract: A helmet and goggle strap clip combination includes a helmet body with an outer shell having an opening in a surface. The goggle strap clip includes a clip body and a resilient leg with a foot at an end of the leg, the foot having a foot body. A cover portion extends from the foot body in a first direction and a support fin extends from the foot body in a second direction opposite the first direction. The foot is configured to engage the opening in the outer shell of the helmet with the cover portion overlapping a portion of the outer shell and the support fin being positioned inside of the outer shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventor: Michael J. MUSAL
  • Patent number: 11213090
    Abstract: A helmet can include a helmet body comprising an energy-absorbing layer and an outer shell disposed over the energy-absorbing layer. An electronic device can be integrated with the helmet body. A first electrical contact can be formed at an exterior of the outer shell and adapted to be in electrical communication with the electronic device. A helmet visor can be coupled to the helmet body with at least one visor arm, the helmet visor comprising controls integrated within the visor. A second electrical contact can be formed at an inner surface of the at least one visor arm and adapted to be in electrical communication with the controls integrated within the visor. The second electrical contact can be adapted to mateably couple with the first electrical contact such that the electronic device and the controls are adapted to be in electrical contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott R. Allen, Christopher T. Pietrzak, Allen Bischofberger, Julio Valencia
  • Patent number: 11172719
    Abstract: A helmet comprising and outer liner and an inner liner slidably coupled to an interior surface of the outer liner is disclosed. The outer liner comprises an interior surface and the inner liner comprises an exterior surface. The inner liner is composed of an elastically deformable material. A majority of the interior surface of the outer liner and a majority of the exterior surface of the inner liner are both substantially parallel to a pseudo-spherical surface having a coronal cross section that is circular with a first radius and a sagittal cross section that is circular with a second radius different from the first radius. The inner liner is elastically deformable along the interior surface of the outer liner in response to rotation of the outer liner relative to the inner liner caused by an impact to the helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventor: Eamon Briggs
  • Publication number: 20210330016
    Abstract: A helmet including fit system straps with illuminable strips on them or woven into them and one or more light sources positioned adjacent the tops of the fit system straps on the helmet body to emit light toward the illuminable strips. The light sources may be connected directly to the illuminable strips to emit light into an end of the illuminable strips. The light sources may emit light from or near a lower surface of the helmet body toward the illuminable strips.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Applicant: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventors: Ian P. MCALLISTER, Mark D. DOUBLIN, Ronald A. RAMIREZ
  • Patent number: 11154106
    Abstract: A helmet can comprise an outer shell comprising an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface, wherein the inner surface of the outer shell comprises an integrally formed locking mechanism. The helmet can also comprise a locking liner formed of a foam material and disposed within the outer shell adjacent the inner surface of the outer shell. The locking liner can further comprise at least one side piece sized to fit between a lower edge of the outer shell and top portion of the outer shell, a top piece disposed at the top portion of the outer shell and comprising a central opening, and a rotatable foam locking piece sized to fit within the central opening and comprising a tab that is sized to mateably couple with the integrally formed locking mechanism of the outer shell to releasably couple the locking liner to the outer shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Ben D. Pritz, Eamon Briggs, Benjamin W. Penner, Brian W. Eisman
  • Patent number: 11134740
    Abstract: A helmet and goggle strap clip combination includes a helmet body with an outer shell having an opening in a surface. The goggle strap clip includes a clip body, a resilient leg extending in a first direction with a foot at an end of the leg. The foot includes a foot body, an outer side facing away from the helmet body and an inner side facing the helmet body, a cover extends from the foot body in the first direction, a support fin extending from the foot body in a second direction, opposite the first direction. The cover overlaps the outer shell by a side edge, the support fin is positioned inside of and engaging the outer shell by a second side edge, and the clip body is in direct contact with the outer shell separate from the leg and its foot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventor: Michael J. Musal
  • Patent number: 11129432
    Abstract: A bicycle helmet system comprising a helmet and a chin bar is disclosed. The chin bar is removably coupled to the helmet and wrapped circumferentially around a portion of the helmet. The chin bar may include a rear buckle configured to tighten the chin bar around the helmet. The chin bar may also include two side buckles that engage with side recesses on the helmet when the chin bar is removably coupled to the helmet. The chin bar may also include two alignment protrusions positioned to engage with alignment recesses on the helmet when the chin bar is removably coupled to the helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Erin Kyle Ellison, Eamon Briggs, Benjamin Warren Penner
  • Patent number: 11129431
    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: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott S. Whitesell, Timothy E. Piver
  • Patent number: 11103024
    Abstract: A helmet may include a helmet body and an air vent assembly. The air vent assembly may include a vent body including a vent border and a vent base; a vent cover pivotally coupled to the vent base by at least a cover anchor; and at least a first magnet disposed on at least one of the vent cover and the vent body, and at least a second magnet or attractor disposed on the other of the vent cover and the vent body opposite the at least a first magnet. The vent cover may pivot to the open position or the closed position through interaction between the at least a first magnet and the at least a second magnet or attractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Allen A. Bischofberger, Scott S. Whitesell, Scott R. Allen
  • Patent number: 11103023
    Abstract: An anchoring system for securing a strap to an in-molded helmet can include a strap anchor that includes an anchor housing and an in-molding flange coupled to the anchor housing. The anchoring system can include a bar tack clip sized to fit partially within the anchor housing, the bar tack clip including a cross beam, an opening adjacent the cross beam, and at least one clip coupled to the cross beam and sized to mateably couple with the anchor housing. The anchoring system can also include a strap disposed through the opening in the bar tack clip and looped around the cross beam, the strap being coupled to itself with a bar tack. The at least one clip of the bar tack clip can be disposed at an in-bound side of the bar tack clip or can include two side clips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregg T. Jacobsen
  • Patent number: 11076654
    Abstract: A helmet including fit system straps with illuminable strips on them or woven into them and one or more light sources positioned adjacent the tops of the fit system straps on the helmet body to emit light toward the illuminable strips. The light sources may be connected directly to the illuminable strips to emit light into an end of the illuminable strips. The light sources may emit light from or near a lower surface of the helmet body toward the illuminable strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventors: Ian P. McAllister, Mark D. Doublin, Ronald A. Ramirez
  • Publication number: 20210161240
    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: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventors: Scott S. Whitesell, Scott R. Allen, Christopher T. Pietrzak, Allen Bischofberger, Julio Valencia
  • Patent number: 10959472
    Abstract: A motorsport helmet includes a shell having a lower edge, a liner extending along an interior of the shell, and a support portion coupled to the shell and extending between the shell and the liner adjacent the lower edge. In some configurations, when the helmet is positioned on a DOT Standard No. 218 test head form, a portion of the lower edge is above the test line and a portion of the lower edge is below the test line, and the support portion extends from the portion of the lower edge that is above the test line to a location below the test line. The helmet may also include a muzzle adapted to cover the mouth and chin area of a wearer, and a magnetic coupling assembly releasably coupling the muzzle to the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Cram
  • Patent number: D930911
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark Doublin
  • Patent number: D933304
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark D. Doublin
  • Patent number: D938657
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventors: Paul A. Kele, Gregory J. Marting
  • Patent number: D943004
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen C. Park
  • Patent number: D946240
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: BELL SPORTS, INC.
    Inventor: Karany Nhim