Patents by Inventor Eric A. Darnell

Eric A. Darnell has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20090178184
    Abstract: A helmet padding consists of sets of one or more tubes, with each set of tubes located at a crucial area of the shell of the helmet. An armature and tubes are connected together and mounted within the inner shell of the helmet. The helmet uses a new fastener to fasten a cage to the helmet shell allowing sides of the cage to be mounted directly against the shell, reducing the width of the shell on each side. A ball is attached to a portion of a bar of the cage to act as a limit stop precluding movements of the cage with respect to the helmet. A chin bar is fastened to the helmet at two points on each side of the shell. The shell is molded with recessed portions designed to receive the two branches of the chin bar on each side where they will be fastened to the shell so that the outer surfaces of the chin guard are flush with the shell at the locations of attachment to provide a smooth transition and reduce weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: William H. Brine, III, Jonathan Baker, Eric Darnell, Steve Moore, Joel Robinson, Barclay Moore, Romeo Graham, Luc Boucher, Rob Watters, John Tutton
  • Publication number: 20090178185
    Abstract: The eye guard, while complying with ASTM F803-03, has been ergonometrically designed to comfortably fit on the user's face, and to provide openings for the eyes allowing clear vision while at the same time protecting the eyes from impacts from a lacrosse ball. The eye openings are completely open and have dimensions intended to preclude a lacrosse ball from passing therethrough. The upper edges of the eye openings are displaced rearwardly with respect to the lower edges a sufficient distance to preclude a lacrosse ball from striking the two edges simultaneously in a direction that could possibly cause an eye impact. That displacement is specifically devised to cause a lacrosse ball striking one or the other of the edges to be deflected away from the eyes of the player. The upper edge of the eye openings also defines the lower edge of a visor surface. That visor surface transitions from the openings to the rearward edge of the eye guard where it engages the face of the user above the eyes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: William H. Brine, III, Jonathan Baker, Eric Darnell, Steve Moore, Joel Robinson, Barclay Moore
  • Publication number: 20070199136
    Abstract: A protective sport helmet having an interior liner capable of conforming to the head of the wearer in the fore and aft direction and/or the side-to-side direction is disclosed. The sport helmet can comprise a protective outer shell and an inner energy-absorbing liner. The liner can comprise a top portion and a base portion flexibly connected therebetween to adjust the fit of the helmet to the head of a wearer in the fore and aft direction. The liner can comprise a side liner portion and the outer shell can comprise a slider mechanism for engaging the side liner portion to adjust the fit of the helmet to the head of the wearer in the side-to-side direction. The liner can comprise a plurality of grooves to transfer energy across the liner material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Inventors: William Brine, Eric Darnell, Jonathan Baker, William Brine
  • Publication number: 20070083965
    Abstract: A lateral displacement shock absorbing material includes a material consisting of a plurality of elongated tubular impact absorbing members, each having an axis of elongation. The axes of elongation of the respective tubular members are parallel to one another. The tubular members are retained with their axes in parallel relation by virtue of webbing, laterally extending from the sides of each tubular member, and interconnecting them together. Each of the tubular members consists of an outer surface made up of two frustoconical surfaces with their larger diameter ends abutting one another and their smaller diameter ends facing away from one another. Each tubular member includes a passageway defined by two frustoconical shapes with the smaller diameter ends abutting one another, and the larger diameter ends facing away from one another and defining the openings of each passageway. The material may be made of thermoplastics including polypropylene, urethanes, and rubber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventors: Eric Darnell, William Brine
  • Patent number: 7127747
    Abstract: A protective eye mask for sports use, without a helmet, includes one or more substantially horizontal frame members forming an eye mask frame, defining a cage to protect an area around a user's eyes, the eye mask frame having at least an upper frame segment and a lower frame segment, the frame members having an inside facing towards the user's eyes and an outside facing away therefrom; one or more substantially horizontal frame members arranged between the upper and lower frame segments; one or more substantially vertical frame members continuous with or rigidly attached to one or more of the substantially horizontal frame members; a contact material for contacting the user's face area, attached to the eyewear frame; and a mechanism for securing the protective eye mask to the user's face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Sport Helmets, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Darnell, Jonathan Baker, William H. Brine, Timothy Ellsworth, Stephen D. Moore, Joel Robinson
  • Publication number: 20040133958
    Abstract: A protective eye mask for sports use, without a helmet, includes one or more substantially horizontal frame members forming an eye mask frame, defining a cage to protect an area around a user's eyes, the eye mask frame having at least an upper frame segment and a lower frame segment, the frame members having an inside facing towards the user's eyes and an outside facing away therefrom; one or more substantially horizontal frame members arranged between the upper and lower frame segments; one or more substantially vertical frame members continuous with or rigidly attached to one or more of the substantially horizontal frame members; a contact material for contacting the user's face area, attached to the eyewear frame; and a mechanism for securing the protective eye mask to the user's face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: Sport Helmets, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Darnell, Jonathan Baker, William H. Brine, Timothy Ellsworth, Stephen D. Moore, Joel Robinson
  • Publication number: 20030101622
    Abstract: A snowshoe comprising a deck having an upper surface and a bottom surface, the deck being longer than it is wide, and defining a longitudinal travel direction along its length; a boot binding mounted to the deck to hold a boot such that the boot can pivot in its toe area about a pivot axis that is above the deck and transverse to the longitudinal travel direction, to allow the heel to come off the upper surface of the deck while maintaining the toe above or on the deck upper surface; and one or more rails projecting from the bottom surface of the deck and extending along the travel direction, to stabilize the showshoe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventor: Eric Darnell
  • Patent number: 5490678
    Abstract: Boomerang throwable by left-handed or right-handed persons to return to the thrower is homogeneous and includes plurality of arms extending radially from a central portion with each of the arms having leading and trailing edges symmetrical about respective radial axes of the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1996
    Inventor: Eric Darnell
  • Patent number: 5271103
    Abstract: Impact protective headgear is disclosed wherein impact protection to the brain case of the skull is at least in part provided by a molded skull enclosing component composed of a relatively thick and stiff cellular polymer material. Provisions are disclosed by which the relatively stiff molded component is rendered size adjustable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 21, 1993
    Inventor: Eric A. Darnell
  • Patent number: 4230090
    Abstract: A heating stove has a fire box composed of first and second pluralities of parallel aligned connected vertically oriented curved open-ended conduits lower extremities of the conduits of said first and second pluralities being aligned for contacting a common planar surface to support the stove, with the fire box further being formed by generally planar front and back plates, of substantially the same size and shape, with the front plate having an inlet port therethrough and the back plate having an exhaust port therein. The conduit central portions are largely within the stove fire box. A baffle within the fire box promotes three-pass flow of hot air across the conduit surfaces within the fire box. The first and second pluralities of curved conduits are opposed and in interdigitated engagement. Curved strips separate the curved conduits and thus facilitate stove construction with the conduits in interdigitated engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1980
    Inventor: Eric Darnell
  • Patent number: D258529
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1981
    Inventor: Eric Darnell
  • Patent number: D290030
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1987
    Inventor: Eric Darnell
  • Patent number: D312480
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Inventor: Eric Darnell