Force Redirection Strap, System and Method of Use

Abstract

A force re-direction strap, system, and method of use.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of protective head gear, including but not limited to sports involving high speed projectiles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many individuals participate in sports or recreational activities that expose its participants and spectators to high velocity projectiles. For example, baseball routinely features pitchers who throw pitches as fast as 90 miles per hour. Jai alai involves hurling balls in an enclosed area at speeds that can reach as fast as 188 miles per hour. These activities pose the risk of severe injury whenever an individual is struck by the projectile. This is especially true when the projectile strikes the head.

The current art tends to focus on securely attaching hard shielding and padding to the head in order to reduce the impact by protecting with the hard shielding and absorbing the force with the padding. However, these designs still make the head the focus of the remaining force vectors and the head and/or neck receive the rest of the residual force because the securing means which holds the mask tightly to the head simply transfers that force.

To use baseball as an example, an umpire's mask consists of metal bars to shield the head from impact and padding to absorb the blow. However, the umpire's mask does nothing to prevent the ball from transferring the remaining force to the head and neck. The umpire's mask protects the head from full force of the impact from a wild pitch or foul tip, but many umpires still suffer head injuries from the remaining force including, but not limited to, whiplash concussions or jaw injuries.

In recent years, medicine has become more aware of the severity of head injuries. Concussions, in particular, have been linked to mental illnesses such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Many of these sports and recreational activities have tried to minimize the risk of head injury by developing protective head gear.

The present invention addresses these shortcomings by adjusting the securing means to allow the head gear to redirect the force and release from the head upon impact with the high velocity projectile. This allows the protective head gear to not only protect the individual using its force absorption qualities, but also allows for the residual force to be redirected from the head by allowing the protective head gear to release from the head upon impact. This redirection achieves the desirable result of greatly reducing the risk of head injury to the individual.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention comprises a securing means, which, in one embodiment of the invention may be a strap, for a piece of protective head gear, that allows the head gear to release from the head upon impact with a high velocity projectile, in order to assist in the dispersion of the force of the impact.

In one or more embodiments, the securing means may cross the back of the skull. The securing means may release, if necessary, during the projectile's impact with the head gear, re-directing the force vectors away from the head and neck and permitting the head gear to become dislodged and release from the head. This prevents the head and neck from receiving the force of the impact that the padding of the headgear did not absorb. The securing means may be a strap, a band, a cord, a rope, a cable or other similar flexible, semi-resilient, restraint materials.

In one or more embodiments, the securing means may be a three strap assembly. The straps can be made from any flexible, semi-resilient, restraint material, but the preferred embodiment uses approximately a 2-½ ounce weight of durable material, for example, nylon. In one embodiment, the first strap forms two loops to attach onto the sides of a protective head gear. This strap goes around the back of the head, and has the midpoint raised so as to form an acute angle with the vertical axis of the skull. In one embodiment, the first strap may have an adjusting means on it so as to better fit the strap to an individual's skull. The adjusting means may be a snap, a hook, hook and pile fabric (i.e., Velcro®), ties, rings, clamps, carabiners, buckles or other similar methods of adjusting the length of an object.

In one embodiment, the second strap attaches to the top of the head gear and goes down the back of the head and may be attached to the first strap. In one embodiment, the second strap may have an adjusting means on it so as to better fit the shape of the individual's skull. The adjusting means may be a snap, a hook, hook and pile fabric (i.e., Velcro®), ties, rings, clamps, carabiners, buckles or other similar methods of adjusting the length of an object.

In one embodiment, a third strap may fit across the top of the skull and down towards the sides of the skull, further connecting the first strap to the second strap. In one embodiment, the third strap may have an adjusting means on it so as to better fit the shape of the individual's skull. The adjusting means may be a snap, a hook, hook and pile fabric (i.e., Velcro®), ties, rings, clamps, carabiners, buckles or other similar methods of adjusting the length of an object.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention.

Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings wherein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view taken of one embodiment when attached to a protective head gear.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of one embodiment when attached to a protective head gear.

FIG. 3 is a top down perspective of one embodiment when attached to a protective head gear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the protective headgear securing means 100 comprises at least a first strap 102 removably or fixedly attached to a protective head gear 104. First strap 102 may further comprise at least a first means 106 for adjusting the length of the first strap 102. In one embodiment, the first strap 102 transverses the back of the user's head 108. The first strap 102 is configured so that the angle between the first strap 102 and the vertical axis of the user's head 108 is a substantially acute angle.

In one embodiment, the at least one adjusting means 106 on the first strap 102 allows the user to adjust the length of the first strap 102 to fit appropriately on the user's head 108.

In one embodiment, there is at least a second strap 110 which attaches either fixedly or removably to the top of the protective head gear 104. The second strap 110 extends from the top of the protective head gear 104 down to the midpoint of the first strap 102. The second strap 110 may be fixedly attached by an attachment means 116. Alternatively, the second strap 110 may be removably attached to the first strap 102 (not pictured here).

In one embodiment, the second strap 110 may have an adjusting means (not pictured here) on it so as to better adjust to the shape of the user's head 108.

In one embodiment of the invention, at least a third strap 112 may be connected either fixedly or removably to both the first strap 102 and the second strap 110. The third strap may be fixedly attached by an attachment means 114.

Referring now to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the first strap 102 is depicted traversing the back of the user's head 108. The second strap 110 is fixedly attached to the first strap 102 by an attachment means 116. The third strap 112 is depicted traversing the top of the user's head 108, connecting both sides of the first strap 102 to the second strap 110.

Referring now to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the first strap 102 is shown connected from one side of the protective head gear 104 to the other. An adjustment means 106 allows the user to adjust the length of the first strap 102 to fit the user's head (not shown here). A third strap 112 is fixedly attached to the first strap 102 by an attachment means 114.

In one embodiment, a second strap 110 is shown removably attached to the protective head gear 104. The second strap 110 is depicted here fixedly attached to the third strap 112 by an attachment means 302. An adjustment means 304 allows the user to adjust the length of the second strap 110 to fit the user's head (not shown here).

Claims

1. A force redirection strap for protective head gear comprising:

at least a first strap with a first and a second end wherein the first end and the second end of the at least a first strap is removably attached to opposite lateral sides of the protective head gear; and

wherein the at least a first strap is positioned such that the first strap is above the horizontal plane of the midpoint of a user's head.

2. The force redirection strap of claim 1, further comprising at least a second strap with a first and a second end wherein the first end is removably attached to the top of the protective head gear and the second end is fixedly attached to the midpoint of the at least a first strap.

3. The force redirection strap of claim 1, further comprising at least a third strap with a first and a second end wherein the first and second ends are fixedly attached to opposite lateral sides of the at least a first strap.

4. The force redirection strap of claim 1, further comprising a means for adjusting the length of the first strap.

5. The force redirection strap of claim 2, further comprising a means for adjusting the length of the second strap.

6. A method of using a force redirecting strap comprising:

providing at least a first strap with a first and a second end wherein the first end and the second of the at least a first strap are removably attached to opposite lateral sides of the protective head gear; and

positioning the at least a first strap such that the first strap is above the horizontal plane of the midpoint of a user's head.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of providing at least a second strap with a first and a second end wherein the first end is removably attached to the top of the protective head gear and the second end is fixedly attached to the midpoint of the at least a first strap.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of providing at least a third strap with a first and a second end wherein the first and second ends are fixedly attached to opposite lateral sides of the at least a first strap.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein further comprising the step of providing a means for adjusting the length of the first strap.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein further comprising the step of providing a means for adjusting the length of the second strap.

11. A force redirection strap system comprising:

protective head gear,

at least a first strap with a first and a second end wherein the first and second end of the first strap are removably attached to opposite lateral sides of the protective head gear,

at least a second strap with a first and a second end wherein the first end is removably attached to the top of the protective head gear and the second end is fixedly attached to the midpoint of the at least a first strap,

at least a third strap with a first and a second end wherein the first and second ends are fixedly attached to opposite lateral sides of the at least a first strap,

a means for adjusting the length of the first strap,

a means for adjusting the length of the second strap; and

wherein the at least a first strap is positioned such that the first strap is above the horizontal plane of the midpoint of a user's head.