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 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 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. Two alternative padding assemblies are disclosed. In a first alternative, the padding assemblies include a front liner installed in the brow area of the shell, a lateral liner extending around the back inner surface of the shell and backed by an inflatable occipital pad, a crown shock absorber, and jaw pads. In a second alternative, the padding assemblies include an inner shell or bonnet comprising a left section, right section, and rear section, which are assembled together with a crown comfort layer and a rear comfort layer, and inserted into the shell. This alternative also includes jaw pads as in the first alternative.

Abstract: A football helmet having a shell, and having a chin protector with chin cup and chin straps, has dual snaps on its chin strap buckles and dual snaps on each side of the helmet shell for improving the snap connection between the chin straps and the helmet to reduce the chances the helmet wearer will loose the helmet during play. Dual snaps on the sides of the helmet are carried on pivoting snap carriers to allow the chin protector to rotate with respect to the helmet shell.

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 helmet has a shell with a front opening covered by a faceguard of elongated wire segments. Loopstraps engage around wire segments at sides and a crown of the shell and fasteners connect the loopstraps to the shell. The fasteners each have a nut extending from an inside of the helmet shell out into a hole of the shell and an aperture of the loopstrap, and a stud removably connected to the nut by pushing and turning the stud by about a quarter turn to lock the stud to the nut. A tension spring between a head of the stud and the loopstrap urges the stud away from the nut when the stud is rotated to unlock the stud for facilitating a quick removal of the stud from the nut and a quick disconnection of the loopstrap and faceguard from the helmet shell.

Abstract: A football helmet having a shell, and having a chin protector with chin cup and chin straps, has dual snaps on its chin strap buckles and dual snaps on each side of the helmet shell for improving the snap connection between the chin straps and the helmet to reduce the chances the helmet wearer will loose the helmet during play. Dual snaps on the sides of the helmet are carried on pivoting snap carriers to allow the chin protector to rotate with respect to the helmet shell.

Abstract: A helmet has a ventilated shell, ventilated padding and a ventilated liner of plural cells mounted to the padding for engaging a wearer's head. The liner has top and bottom flexible sheets fused around their perimeter, the bottom sheet having plural round or oval toroidal cells and plural round or oval closed cells, the openings in the toroidal cells extending through the top sheet. Foam at least partly fills each cell. Cells under a crown of the shell are connected in a first circuit with a valve for inflating these cells and a other cells under temporal and occipital portions of the shell are connected in a second inflation circuit with a valve for inflating the second plurality of the cells. Cells under the frontal portion not being inflatable and being substantially filled with foam padding.

Abstract: A football helmet has a shell with a top portion having a raised central channel at least at one of a front area and a top area of the top portion of the shell, with a plurality of elongated vent openings on each side of the channel, the vent openings being spaced from each other on each side of the channel, from front to back, along the helmet shell.

Abstract: A protective pad for a sports helmet having a shell for covering at least part of the head of a wearer, the pad including a first resilient shock absorbing member of plastic such as thermoplastic polyurethane, the first member having a sheet portion with a plurality of 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 of a monolithic block of foam fixed to the sheet portion of the first member for engaging the wearer's head. A plastic cover covers the second shock absorbing member and a plurality of fasteners removably connects the pad at to the shell by at least some of the protrusions.

Abstract: A football helmet has a shell with a top portion having a raised central channel at least at one of a front area and a top area of the top portion of the shell, with a plurality of elongated vent openings on each side of the channel, the vent openings being spaced from each other on each side of the channel, from front to back, along the helmet shell.

Abstract: A protective pad for a sports helmet having a shell for covering at least part of the head of a wearer, the pad including a first resilient shock absorbing member of plastic such as thermoplastic polyurethane, the first member having a sheet portion with a plurality of 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 of a monolithic block of foam fixed to the sheet portion of the first member for engaging the wearer's head. A plastic cover covers the second shock absorbing member and a plurality of fasteners removably connects the pad at to the shell by at least some of the protrusions.

Abstract: A helmet having a shell configured to fit about a head of a wearer of the helmet. The shell includes a top portion that defines a front edge and a bottom portion adjoining the top portion. The bottom portion defines a first side edge integral with a first end of the front edge and a second side edge integral with a second end of the front edge. The front edge, first side edge, and second side edge define a segment of a circumference of the shell. The helmet includes a faceguard comprising a faceguard assembly formed in a substantially closed loop. A top portion of the faceguard assembly overlies the top portion of the shell and substantially overlies and coincides with an entire shape of the front edge. At least a segment of a top portion of the faceguard assembly makes direct contact with the top portion of the shell.

Abstract: A protective jaw pad for equipment having a shell includes a first resilient shock absorbing member having a sheet portion with a plurality of hollow protrusions, tapering side walls of the protrusions being compressible for absorbing shocks applied to the shell. The pad includes a second resilient shock absorbing member that is either a monolithic block of foam or is made up of a second sheet portion with a plurality of hollow protrusions that are interleaved with the first protrusion. A cover covers either the first or the second shock absorbing member and a plurality of fasteners removably connect the jaw pad to the shell.

Abstract: A quick release faceguard retainer for use with a protective headgear and faceguard. The headgear has a face opening and an outer surface with a selected curvature. The faceguard has at least one top substantially horizontal bar. The retainer includes a base portion with a front surface and a back surface. The back surface of the base is adapted to be fixedly attached to the outer surface of the headgear above the face opening and has a curvature matching the curvature of the outer surface of the headgear above the face opening. Two complementary retention arms protrude out from the front surface of the base to form two complementary retention channels. One channel has a downward opening and the other has an upward opening and both have an inner surface which together surround the top horizontal bar of the faceguard. Also provided is a faceguard engagement space between the two retention arms having a size for receiving the top bar.

Abstract: A protective arrangement has a rigid shell to cover a body part and at least one impact absorbing pad removably attached to the inner surface of the rigid shell. The pad has an outer part made of an outer curved sheet and an inner part made of an inner sheet that is parallel to and spaced inwardly from the outer sheet to define a space. The inner and outer sheets have a plurality of spaced apart projecting hollow protrusions extending to the other sheet, the protrusions of one sheet alternating with the protrusions of the other sheet to form an impact absorbing pattern of alternating protrusions in the space between the sheets.