Abstract: A protective helmet having an inner shell and an outer shell assembly. Internal padding contacts an inner surface of the inner shell and an energy absorbing layer is positioned between the inner shell and the outer shell assembly. The outer shell assembly includes a plurality of rigid, outer shell segments with at least, one of the outer shell segments designed and arranged to move relative to the other outershell segments upon receiving an impact force. The external energy absorbing layer and the outer shell assembly dampens impact energy before it reaches the inner shell.

Abstract: A football helmet comprising a rigid plastic shell adapted to cover the head of a wearer and a faceguard in the form of a cage of metal bars and removably attached to the shell. The faceguard includes an upper portion including an uppermost bar having a center bar part and a pair of side bar parts, and a horizontal bar below the center bar part and connected to the center bar part by a vertical bar, the uppermost bar and horizontal bar defining a gap between them which extends the entire length of the horizontal bar. The faceguard has a pair of raised eyebrow areas, each raised eyebrow area consisting of one of the pair of side bar parts bent upwardly with respect to the center bar part, in the uppermost bar being positioned on either side of the front portion of the shell and above the lower edge of the front portion of the shell.

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. The rear shell has a concave padding assembly comprised of a concave TPU shock absorbing layer, and a nested concave comfort layer.

Abstract: A protective helmet having an inner shell and an outer shell assembly. Internal padding contacts an inner surface of the inner shell and an energy absorbing layer is positioned between the inner shell and the outer shell assembly. The outer shell assembly includes a plurality of rigid, outer shell segments with at least one of the outer shell segments designed and arranged to move relative to the other outer shell segments upon receiving an impact force. The external energy absorbing layer and the outer shell assembly dampens impact energy before it reaches the inner shell.

Abstract: A faceguard retaining device has a base with underlying portion extending along a surface of a helmet shell. A latch, pivotally mounted to the base, has a hooked part, a pair of nubs and a pair of trunnions, the nibs and trunnions being in grooves of the base when the latch is in a closed and locked condition to prevent the latch from opening. A clip engaged to the latch and base biases the latch closed. A stabilizer is in a stabilizer groove of the base and a plate extends over the underlying portion. A fastener fastens the plate and base to the shell to resists bending of the underlying portion. The latch is lifted from the underlying portion to lift the nubs from the grooves and allow the latch to pivot upwardly into an open condition.

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.

Abstract: A liner assembly for a protective helmet has a wrap-around pad inside the helmet with plural circular cells spaced along a curved line, at least one additional cell at each end of the line and one additional cell located off the line. A crown pad removably engageable in a crown of the helmet and two L-shaped jaw pads removably engageable to jaw flaps of the helmet. Each cell includes an outer sheet welded around its perimeter to the perimeter of an inner sheet, each inner sheet engaging a player's head and defining one enclosure for each cell. Each cell containing a foam cushion and multiple spaced apart hollow protrusions contacting the inside of the helmet. Each protrusion has an open large diameter base near the cushion and flat smaller diameter peak engaging the helmet. Each protrusions also having a conical side wall tapering from base to peak.

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.

Abstract: A football helmet comprising a rigid plastic shell adapted to cover the head of a wearer and a faceguard in the form of a cage of metal bars and removably attached to the shell. The faceguard includes an upper portion including an uppermost bar having a center bar part and a pair of side bar parts, and a horizontal bar below the center bar part and connected to the center bar part by a vertical bar, the uppermost bar and horizontal bar defining a gap between them which extends the entire length of the horizontal bar. The faceguard has a pair of raised eyebrow areas, each raised eyebrow area consisting of one of the pair of side bar parts bent upwardly with respect to the center bar part, in the uppermost bar being positioned on either side of the front portion of the shell and above the lower edge of the front portion of the shell.

Abstract: A football helmet with shell, faceguard, padding and comfort liner system, has replaceable nose bumpers for connecting a top center of the faceguard to the shell, button and keyhole connectors connecting the liner to an inner surface of the padding and T-nut connectors for connecting the padding to an inner surface of the shell. Front portions of the comfort liner have harder foam cushions than other portions of the liner to improve impact absorption. Selected areas of the padding system contain pads with inner and outer molded thermoplastic urethane parts of different durometer, each including a sheet with plural alternating hollow protrusions. The faceguard has an upper bar with raised ends above a lower edge of the front portion of the shell that form a face opening and on either side of the nose bumper.

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.

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. The rear shell has a concave padding assembly comprised of a concave TPU shock absorbing layer, and a nested concave comfort layer.

Abstract: A football helmet has a shell made of polycarbonate or ABS plastic or thermoplastic composite material and two cheek supports, each removably connected to an earflap. Each cheek support comprises an outer brace, an inner plate removably connected to the outer brace by fasteners passing through through-going holes formed in the earflap, and a cheek pad attached to the inner plate. The outer brace has a lower edge having a contour shaped to follow a contour of the lower edge of the earflap without extending substantially beyond the lower edge of the earflap. The inner plate has a lower edge having a contour shaped to follow the contour of the lower edge of the earflap without extending substantially beyond the lower edge of the earflap and an extension extending from a body of the inner plate and beyond the front edge of the earflap. A cheek pad is removably attached to the inner plate and positioned to overlay the cheek of a wearer.

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 dual 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 front liner is installed in the brow area, crown area, and side areas of the front shell, a middle liner extending around the rear inner surface of the front shell, a suspended foam jaw pad, and a central chin pad. The rear shell has a concave padding assembly comprised of a concave TPU shock absorbing layer, and a nested concave comfort layer.

Abstract: A lacrosse helmet comprises rigid single-piece shell formed of a suitable material such as polycarbonate or ABS plastic and adapted to receive and protect the head of a wearer. The shell has acclivities integrally formed therein to define features in the shell. A padding system includes crown padding comprising a crown shock absorber associated with an inner crown liner, rear and side padding comprising a lateral padding assembly backed by an inflatable occipital pad, left and right jaw pads, and a front molded pad nested within the front of the helmet shell.

Abstract: An impact-absorbing padding system made of a single-layer thermoplastic polyurethane sheet. The bottom of the sheet is flat, and the top side is also flat and has multiple, spaced apart projections. The projections are frustaconal in shape, having a flat top side and an open bottom. At least some of the projections are connected by ribs. The number and height of the ribs varies to achieve variable hardness within the system.

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.

Abstract: A liner assembly for a protective helmet which includes a wrap-around pad designed to be engaged to the inner surface of a helmet. The wrap-around pad has multiple substantially circular cells spaced along a curved line around the inner surface. The assembly also has a crown pad and two jaw pads. Each jaw pad is an cell L-shaped cell. Each cell is made of an inner sheet, an outer sheet and multiple, outwardly-projecting hollow protrusions.

Abstract: A protective helmet having an inner shell and an outer shell assembly. Internal padding contacts an inner surface of the inner shell and an energy absorbing layer is positioned between the inner shell and the outer shell assembly. The outer shell assembly includes a plurality of rigid, outer shell segments with at least one of the outer shell segments designed and arranged to move relative to the other outer shell segments upon receiving an impact force. The external energy absorbing layer and the outer shell assembly dampens impact energy before it reaches the inner shell.

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 dual 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 front liner is installed in the brow area, crown area, and side areas of the front shell, a middle liner extending around the rear inner surface of the front shell, a suspended foam jaw pad, and a central chin pad. The rear shell has a concave padding assembly comprised of a concave TPU shock absorbing layer, and a nested concave comfort layer.