Patents Assigned to Kranos IP Corporation
  • Patent number: 10918932
    Abstract: A protective jaw pad for a sports helmet having a shell with at least one side area for covering at least part of the jaw of a wearer, the jaw pad including a first resilient shock absorbing member of thermoplastic polyurethane, the first member having a sheet portion with multiple hollow protrusions, tapering side walls of the protrusions extending substantially to an inside surface of the side area of the shell and being compressible for absorbing shocks applied to the shell. The pad includes a second resilient shock absorbing member. A plastic cover is removably attached to the first resilient shock absorbing member, and encases the second shock absorbing member. The plastic cover and the first shock-absorbing member are releasably attached by a hook and loop fastener. The first shock absorbing member has multiple slots for receiving a T-nut at a variety of locations therealong.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventors: Cortney Warmouth, Louis Anthony VanHoutin, Vincent R. Long
  • Publication number: 20200367595
    Abstract: A protective football helmet has a one-piece shell with a continuous lower frontal edge extending between a left and right side portion of the shell. A first impact attenuation member is formed in a front portion of the shell adjacent and above the continuous lower frontal edge, and a second impact attenuation member is formed in a rear portion of the shell adjacent and above a continuous lower rear edge. An extent of the first impact attenuation member is capable of being elastically displaced inward of an extent of the continuous lower frontal edge when an impact force is applied substantially normal to the front portion of the shell. Additionally, an extent of the second impact attenuation member is capable of being elastically displaced inward of an extent of the continuous lower rear edge when an impact force is applied substantially normal to the rear portion of the shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Applicant: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventors: Michael M. PRINCIP, James C. WINGO, Jeremy J. THOMPSON
  • Publication number: 20200345096
    Abstract: A NOCSAE-certified football helmet having a shell, internal padding attached to an inner surface of the shell, and a face guard attachable to the shell, is configured and designed to have a Predictive Concussion Incidence below 1.90, or 0.75 plus or minus 0.25, or in the range of 0.50 to 1.90, as measured by the 2018 Adult Football STAR Methodology. The face guard is attached to the shell at a plurality of attachment points below a line constructed through the midpoint of the height of the helmet and has an upper portion which contacts the shell above the face opening, without being attached to the shell at that point. The internal padding includes a front pad attached within the shell above the face opening, defining a first zone of a first stiffness and, adjacent to and above the first zone, a second zone of a second stiffness lower than the first stiffness. The internal padding also includes helmet liners which are not inflatable, and which contain slow response microcellular polyurethane pads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Applicant: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventors: Louis Anthony VANHOUTIN, Vincent R. LONG, Robert ERB, Richard GROFF, III
  • Patent number: 10813403
    Abstract: A NOCSAE-certified football helmet having a plastic shell, internal padding attached to an inner surface of the shell, and a face guard attached to the shell, is configured and designed to have a Predictive Concussion Incidence below 1.90, or 0.75 plus or minus 0.25, or in the range of 0.50 to 1.90, as measured by the 2018 Adult Football STAR Methodology. The face guard is attached to the shell at a plurality of attachment points below a line constructed through the midpoint of the height of the helmet and has an upper portion which contacts the shell above the face opening, without being attached to the shell at that point. The internal padding includes a front pad attached within the shell above the face opening, defining a first zone of a first stiffness and, adjacent to and above the first zone, a second zone of a second stiffness lower than the first stiffness. The internal padding also includes helmet liners which are not inflatable, and which contain slow response microcellular polyurethane pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventors: Louis Anthony Vanhoutin, Vincent R. Long, Robert Erb, Richard Groff, III
  • Publication number: 20200275721
    Abstract: A sports helmet (for example a football helmet, lacrosse helmet, hockey helmet, or baseball helmet), has an inflatable liner which includes an integrated, finger-operable air pump. The liner further includes an integrated, finger-operable deflation valve that is separate from the air pump. The pump and deflation valve are operable by respective features which protrude through holes in the helmet shell, which enables the wearer of the helmet to conveniently operate the liner by inflating or deflating it as desired, without any external assistance or accessories.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventors: Louis Anthony VANHOUTIN, Vincent R. LONG
  • Patent number: 10757994
    Abstract: A catcher's mask comprises a two-piece plastic shell composed of a rigid front shell and a rigid rear shell. The front and rear shells are connected by a strap harness attached to the front shell and have padding assemblies. The front shell has ventilation holes including ear holes positioned over the wearer's ears and a full jaw protector integrally formed as part of front shell. A wire faceguard is removably attached to the front shell extending over the ear holes. A top upper member of the faceguard comprises a center bar part, a left side bar part bent upwardly with respect to the center bar part to form a left eyebrow area, and a right side bar part bent upwardly with respect to the center bar part to form a right eyebrow area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: KRANOS IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cortney Warmouth, Louis Anthony Vanhoutin, Vincent R. Long, Dan Meyer
  • Publication number: 20200205503
    Abstract: A sports helmet has composite helmet liner to improve and customize the fit of the helmet to the wearer. The composite liner consists of a base liner and a selected group of fit elements, for example, fit pods, removably attached to the inner surface of the base liner (i.e., the surface of the base liner facing the wearer's head). The fit pods are selected from a set of fit pods having different properties, for example, different sizes, thicknesses, densities, and cross-sections. The selection of fit pods from the set may be aided by taking anatomical measurements of the wearer's head and analyzing the measurements with respect to the geometry of the helmet to produce a pressure map. The measurements may be taken by physical contact or by non-contact means. The fit pods may be selected to optimize a pressure map, and thus optimize the fit, for a given wearer of the helmet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventors: Louis Anthony VANHOUTIN, Vincent R. LONG, Nathan LOUCKS, Richard GROFF, III
  • Publication number: 20200206598
    Abstract: A lacrosse helmet with a plastic shell has a full jaw protector attached to the shell at a right side of the shell and at a left side of the shell, extending forwardly from the shell and extending continuously from the right side of the shell to the left side of the shell and adapted to cover and protect a lower jaw of the wearer. A faceguard made of a grid of horizontal wire members, vertical wire members, and a bottom wire member is removably attached to both the shell and the full jaw protector by loop straps. T-intersections are formed by the bottom wire member and certain of the vertical wire members, adjacent to and above the full jaw protector and forward of loop straps connecting the faceguard to the jaw protector. The loop straps act as stops against rearward movement of the vertical wire members thereby resisting the tendency of the faceguard to slide and twist when struck with blows during sports play.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: KRANOS IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cortney Warmouth, Louis Anthony VanHoutin, Vincent R. Long
  • Patent number: 10632360
    Abstract: A sports helmet comprises a single-piece plastic shell, an occipital shock absorber attached to the inner surface of the shell in the rear region to at least partially overlie an occipital area of the head, an inflatable occipital pad removably attached to the inner surface of the shell in the rear region and positioned between the inner surface of the shell and the lateral padding assembly to push the occipital shock absorber forward when the occipital pad is inflated. The occipital pad comprises a top sheet and a bottom sheet bonded together, a plurality of inflatable pockets formed in the top sheet and fluidly connected through channels formed in the top sheet, a valve assembly for inflating the plurality of inflatable pockets, the valve assembly bonded to the bottom sheet. The valve assembly extends through a hole in the shell for inflation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventors: Cortney Warmouth, Louis Anthony VanHoutin, Vincent R. Long
  • Patent number: 10583346
    Abstract: A liner assembly for a protective helmet has a rigid shell with an inner surface and concave curvature having a front portion, a rear portion, a crown portion, a pair of opposite portions and a pair of opposite jaw flaps; a wrap-around pad has a plurality of circular cells spaced along a curved line around the inner surface, and at least one additional cell at each end of the curved line. Two jaw pads, each jaw pad removably engaged to a respective one of the jaw flaps, and each jaw pad has one cell having one cell with two curvilinear segments. Each cell of the wrap around pad and the jaw pads includes an outer sheet of thermoplastic and an inner sheet of thermoplastic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: KRANOS IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert Erb, Cortney Warmouth, Vincent R. Long, Louis Anthony Vanhoutin, Ray Drake
  • Publication number: 20200000170
    Abstract: A total contact helmet, including a body that is customizable to contact surface contours of an individual's head and is made of a rigid material. A total contact helmet insert, including a body that is customizable to contact surface contours of an individual's head and is made of a rigid material, the total contact helmet insert being insertable under an existing helmet or as an inner shell as part of an existing helmet. A method of protecting the head of a user by the user wearing the total contact helmet, and when receiving an outside impacting force to the total contact helmet, distributing the force of impact over the surface area of the total contact helmet, wherein the total contact helmet remains undeformed after receiving the force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen Craig Hyman
  • Patent number: 10470516
    Abstract: 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 changes how a portion of the shell having the impact attenuation member responds to an impact force having a component applied substantially normal to the impact attenuation member as compared to how the left and right side portions respond to the impact force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: KRANOS IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael M. Princip, James C. Wingo, Jeremy J. Thompson
  • Patent number: 10470514
    Abstract: A protective helmet comprises a shell having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a shell segment movable relative to the shell; an energy absorbing layer having an inner surface, and an outer surface which contacts the inner surface of the shell; and internal padding operably coupled to the inner surface of the energy absorbing layer. The shell has a perimeter and the shell segment is formed by at least one slot channel in the shell which does not extend to the perimeter of the shell. The shell segment moves relative to the shell upon the helmet receiving an impact force. The slot channel is generally U-shaped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: KRANOS IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael M. Princip, James C. Wingo, Jeremy J. Thompson
  • Patent number: 10470515
    Abstract: A protective helmet comprises a shell made of plastic and having a raised central region oriented from a front of the shell towards a rear of the shell, a first vent opening adjacent to the raised central region on a left side of the raised central region, a second vent opening adjacent to the raised central region on a right side of the raised central region, a pressable front section created by a non-linear slit through the shell, which does not extend to an edge of the shell, ear holes formed in the shell; and an energy absorbing layer protected by the shell and having an outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: KRANOS IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael M. Princip, James C. Wingo, Jeremy J. Thompson
  • Patent number: 10448691
    Abstract: A protective helmet comprises a shell comprising a non-linear slit at least partially surrounding and defining a flexible section movable relative to the shell. The helmet further comprises an energy absorbing layer contacting an inner surface of the shell and an inner surface of the flexible section. Internal padding is operably coupled to the energy absorbing layer. The shell has a perimeter, and the non-linear slit does not extend to the perimeter of the shell. The flexible section moves relative to the shell upon the helmet receiving an impact energy to dampen the impact energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: KRANOS IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael M. Princip, James C. Wingo, Jeremy J. Thompson
  • Publication number: 20190313711
    Abstract: A shoulder pad assembly has main body cushions consisting of a plurality of different types of foam material joined together to result in a hybrid pad structure constructed from slow-response foam and open-cell foam. A main body cushion is constructed from a first sheet or panel of slow-response foam disposed over the torso of the wearer, a second sheet or panel of slow-response foam disposed over the back of the wearer, joined together by a third sheet or panel of open-cell foam positioned between the first sheet and second sheet, disposed over the wearer's shoulder. Optionally, a fourth sheet or pad of slow-response foam is disposed on the third sheet, disposed over the wearer's shoulder, preferably at the location that is most likely to suffer blows during football play. Optionally, a fifth sheet or pad of open-cell foam is disposed on the first sheet, on the side of the first sheet in contact with the wearer and a sixth sheet or pad of open-cell foam is disposed on the second sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Applicant: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventors: Fred Williams, Scott Williams
  • Patent number: 10426213
    Abstract: A total contact helmet, including a body that is customizable to an individual's head and having force distribution means for distributing the force of an impact to a large surface area of the body. A total contact helmet insert, including a body that is customizable to an individual's head and having force distribution means for distributing the force of an impact to a large surface area of the body, the total contact helmet insert being insertable under an existing helmet or as an inner shell as part of an existing helmet. A method of protecting the head of a user by the user wearing the total contact helmet, and when receiving an outside impacting force to the total contact helmet, distributing the force of impact over the surface area of the total contact helmet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen Craig Hyman
  • Publication number: 20190246732
    Abstract: A catcher's mask comprises a two-piece plastic shell composed of a rigid front shell and a rigid rear shell. The front and rear shells are connected by a strap harness attached to the front shell and have padding assemblies. The front shell has ventilation holes including ear holes positioned over the wearer's ears and a full jaw protector integrally formed as part of front shell. A wire faceguard is removably attached to the front shell extending over the ear holes. A top upper member of the faceguard comprises a center bar part, a left side bar part bent upwardly with respect to the center bar part to form a left eyebrow area, and a right side bar part bent upwardly with respect to the center bar part to form a right eyebrow area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: KRANOS IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cortney WARMOUTH, Louis Anthony VANHOUTIN, Vincent R. LONG, Dan MEYER
  • Patent number: 10376011
    Abstract: A football helmet has a rigid plastic football helmet shell with a raised plateau of the shell extending from the front portion, over the crown portion, toward the back portion. This raised plateau is the only raised plateau of the shell which begins in the front portion, extends over the crown portion, and ends in the back portion. The raised plateau has a left border and a right border. The left border is composed of a plurality of segments and extends continuously from the front portion, over the crown portion, toward the back portion. The segments of the left border including at least a first segment and second segment, which meet to form an angle. A non-circular first ventilation hole through the shell has at least a first side, a second side, and a third side, and is positioned at the angle, such that the first side is adjacent to the first segment and the second side is adjacent to the second segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: KRANOS IP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert Erb, Cortney Warmouth, Vincent R. Long, Louis Anthony Vanhoutin
  • Patent number: RE47868
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Kranos IP Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Erb, Cortney Warmouth, Vincent R. Long, Louis Anthony VanHoutin, Michael Princip