WRESTLING HEADGEAR
The current invention discloses a new wrestling headgear with protective pads covering the wearer's entire head, compared with conventional wrestling headpieces that cover only the ears, or forehead and ears. The wrestling headgear herein disclosed may take various forms but in general provides covering for the forehead, top of the head, back of the head, and the ears. In one embodiment, there are a plurality of straps fastening the pads to the ear pieces and the pads and earpieces to the wearer's head. In another embodiment, the pads and the ear pieces are encased in elastic wrappings that may be worn comfortably. The current wrestling headgear is superior that it provides comprehensive protection to the wearer, ensuring the safety of the sport.
This application claims priority to U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/821,361 filed on May 9, 2013, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe invention relates to a wrestling headgear, and more particularly to a wrestling headgear that provides a number of pad and fastening mechanisms for more complete coverage and fuller protection.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONAs a form of combat sport, wrestling is intense, and sometimes even dangerous. With techniques such as clinch fighting, throws, takedowns, joint locks, pins and grappling holds, wrestling is fun to watch and participate, but also prone to cause injuries, such as cauliflower ear and concussions. In fact, wrestling is ranked third in sports that cause concussions to participants. Therefore, similar to a number of sports such as American football, motorbike riding, and amateur boxing, wearing a headgear reduces the risk of harm to the wrestler's safety and risk of unnecessary injuries.
Conventional wrestling headgears are mainly designed to protect the wearer's chin and ears, and particularly to prevent cauliflower ears—a type of disfiguration of the ear caused by internal blood vessel bleeding, which results from repeated bashing and beating on a wrestler's ears. The shortcomings of the conventional wrestling headgear lie in its inability to provide comprehensive protection to the wearer's head, and in particular the failure to prevent concussions. For a wrestler, especially young wrestlers in high school and college, sometimes collisions and impacts during a wrestling match result in serious injuries to the wrestler's head, although some plays that cause such collisions and impact are against wrestling rules. It is desirable to develop wrestling headgear that provides additional protection to head parts besides the ears. In particular, it is desirable to have wrestling headgears that prevent concussions. Some patent documents disclose inventions that are directed to provide more coverage. However, these inventions are inadequate in one way or another.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTU.S. Pat. No. 3,628,191 ('191 patent) discloses a unitary headgear for wrestlers made entirely from elastic or resilient material. This headgear includes an integral head and chin fitting harness together with protective ear pads and by virtue of the elastic characteristics of the material used, it is capable of a snug but comfortable form fit on different sizes and shapes of heads which is accomplished without the use of any adjustment clamps, buckles, laces or similar adjustment devices that are susceptible of becoming loose or that would be likely to cause injury to the opponent of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,037 ('037 patent) discloses an adjustable suspension for protective headgear wherein a constantly uniform tension on all securing members of the suspension can be simultaneously increased or decreased uniformly through a one-step tension control device without removing the headgear from the wearer's head. This patent also teaches a chin-strapless embodiment which anchors against vertical displacement on the forehead and skull base, detachable chin strap with concealed dual locking fastener, and a headgear wherein the protective elements are supported by an adjustable, detachable suspension.
These inventions, however, demonstrate significant shortcomings. For example, the headgear disclosed by the '191 patent lack any straps. Such a design significantly reduces the adjustability of the headgear. On the other hand, the '037 patent teaches a headgear that lacks protection for the top and back of the head. As indicated by the examples, various apparatus are known in the art, but their structures are distinctively different from the current invention. Moreover, the prior art fails to address all of the problems solved by the invention described herein. Two embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one embodiment, the invention discloses a wrestling headgear comprising: a front pad having a front pad front section, a front pad connecting section, and a front pad upper strip, the front pad connecting section linking the front pad front section to the front pad upper strip; a back pad having a back pad top section, at least one back pad connecting section, and a back pad back portion, the back pad connecting section linking the back pad top section with the back pad back portion; a connecting strip; two earpieces; a chin strap and a plurality of pad straps, wherein the connecting strip links the front pad to the back pad, the front pad engages and protects a wearer's forehead, the front back upper strip and the back pad top section engage and protect the top of the wearer's head, the back pad back portion engages and protects the back or the wearer's head, the chin strap is linked to the earpieces fastened around the wearer's chin, the earpieces are positioned over the wearer's ears, and the pad straps link the front pad and the back pad to the earpieces.
More specifically, the current invention teaches specific features of the protective pads and how the pads are connected and positioned by the pad straps. For example, the back pad back portion may include two back portion upper slots and two back portion lower slots. The pad straps include an upper back strap and a lower back strap, wherein the upper back strap threads through the back portion upper slots, and the lower back strap threads through the back portion lower slots. In addition, the pad straps may include two front straps linking the front pad front section to the earpieces. Regarding protective structures positioned on top of the wearer's head, the pad straps may include a first top strap and a second top strap, wherein the first top strap links the front pad upper strip to the earpieces, and the second top strap links the back pad top section to the earpieces.
In another embodiment, the current invention discloses a wrestling headgear, comprising: elastic pad wrappings; a protective pad encased in the elastic pad wrappings; two earpieces encased in the elastic pad wrappings, and a chin strap connected to the earpieces, wherein the protective pad includes a front section and three elongated strips parallely connected to the front section; the front section engages and protects a wearer's forehead, the elongated strips extend over the top and the back of the wearer's head, engage and protect the top and back of the wearer's head, the elastic pad wrappings include pad pockets encasing the protective pad and the earpieces; and the earpieces are positioned above and protect the wearer's ears. More particularly, the elastic pad wrappings may be made from elastic fabric. To secure the protective pad in place, the pad may be stitched to the elastic pad wrappings. Moreover, the elastic pad wrappings may include ear covers wrapped over the earpieces.
Both embodiments disclosed herein provide comprehensive protection to the wearer's head. The pads and earpieces included in both embodiments cover the wearer's forehead, top of the head, back of the head, and ears. Such a design not only protects the wrestling participant from the regular grappling and frictions, but also the collisions, concussions, and impacts that are normal occurrences in a wrestling match. In general, the current invention enables a wrestling participant to compete in and enjoy the sport without worrying too much about head injuries.
In general, the present invention succeeds in conferring the following, and others not mentioned, desirable and useful benefits and objectives.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wrestling headgear that provides comprehensive protection to the wearer's head.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wrestling headgear that covers the wearer's forehead, top of head, back of head, and ears.
It is another object of the current invention to provide a wrestling headgear that may be used for different persons having different physical parameters.
It is still another object of the current invention to provide a wrestling headgear that includes a plurality of straps that fasten the protective pads to the wearer's head.
It is still another object of the current invention to provide a wrestling headgear that includes a plurality of straps that fasten protective pads to the earpieces.
It is another object of the current invention to provide a wrestling headgear that allows easy adjustment of the straps.
It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a wrestling headgear that includes elastic wrappings for comfort and better fit.
It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a wrestling headgear that includes elastic wrappings encasing the protective pads and earpieces.
It is another object of the current invention to provide a wrestling headgear that is inexpensive.
It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a wrestling headgear that is durable and robust.
It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a wrestling headgear that is light-weight and portable.
It is yet another object of the current invention to provide a wrestling headgear that is easy to use and easy to manufacture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wrestling headgear that is easy to put on and easy to take off.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numerals.
Reference are made in detail to embodiment of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The front pad 20 and the back pad 40 provide full coverage for the forehead, as well as the top and back of the wearer's head. The sides of the wearer's head, particularly the ears, are protected by the earpieces 75. The earpieces also serve as anchoring structures for the front pad 20 and back pad 40.
Referring to
Comparing with the first embodiment shown in
To ensure close attachment, preferably the protective pad is stitched to the elastic pad wrappings, as shown in
The wrestling headgear may be made from any materials. Preferably the pads in the first embodiment and the protective pad in the second embodiment are made from flexible, resilient, and strong materials that can provide cushioning when impact happens and reduce damages and injuries to the wearer. The pads may be made from elastic polymer, rubber, vinyl, plastic or polypropylene, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, fabrics, or other suitable materials known to one of skill in the art. The earpieces are preferably strong, semi-rigid or rigid, and durable and they may be made from materials such as but not limited to: glass and fiberglass, rubber, and plastic such as, but not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and polycarbonate (PC), or some combination thereof. The elastic pad wrappings in the second embodiment are preferably made from highly stretchable materials including but not limited to all kinds of elastomers and stretchable fabrics.
The wrestling headgears of the current invention provide comprehensive protection to the wearer's head. Such features are essential to the safety of the wrestling participants, especially young participant, who are more prone to have physical contacts involving sudden impacts, such as headbutts. The current wrestling headgears provide full protection to the wearer's head, significantly reducing the likelihood of injury.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
Claims
1: a wrestling headgear, comprising:
- a front pad having a front pad front section, a front pad connecting section, and a front pad upper strip, the front pad connecting section linking the front pad front section to the front pad upper strip;
- a back pad having a back pad top section, at least one back pad connecting section, and a back pad back portion, the back pad connecting section linking the back pad top section with the back pad back portion;
- a connecting strip;
- two earpieces;
- a chin strap and a plurality of pad straps, wherein the connecting strip links the front pad to the back pad, the front pad engages and protects a wearer's forehead, the front back upper strip and the back pad top section engage and protect the top of the wearer's head, the back pad back portion engages and protects the back or the wearer's head, the chin strap is linked to the earpieces fastened around the wearer's chin, the earpieces are positioned over the wearer's ears, and the pad straps link the front pad and the back pad to the earpieces.
2: the wrestling headgear as claim 1, wherein
- the back pad back portion includes two back portion upper slots and two back portion lower slots.
3: the wrestling headgear as claim 2, wherein
- the pad straps include an upper back strap and a lower back strap.
4: the wrestling headgear as claim 3, wherein
- the upper back strap threads through the back portion upper slots,
- and the lower back strap threads through the back portion lower slots.
5: the wrestling headgear as claim 1, wherein
- the pad straps include two front straps linking the front pad front section to the earpieces.
6: the wrestling headgear as claim 1, wherein
- the front pad upper strip is horizontally across the top of the wearer's head,
- and the back pad top section is generally in parallel to the front pad upper strip.
7: the wrestling headgear as claim 6, wherein
- the pad straps include a first top straps and a second top strap.
8: the wrestling headgear as claim 7, wherein
- the first top strap links the front pad upper strip to the earpieces,
- and second top strap links the back pad top section to the earpieces.
9: the wrestling headgear as claim 1, wherein
- the chin strap includes a chin strap cushion.
10: a wrestling headgear, comprising:
- a front pad having a front pad front section, a front pad connecting section, and a front pad upper strip, the front pad connecting section linking the front pad front section to the front pad upper strip;
- a back pad having a back pad top section, at least one back pad connecting section, and a back pad back portion, the back pad connecting section linking the back pad top section with the back pad back portion;
- a connecting strip;
- two earpieces;
- a chin strap;
- and a plurality of pad straps including an upper back strap, a lower back strap, two front straps, a first top straps and a second top strap, wherein the connecting strip links the front pad to the back pad, the front pad engages and protects a wearer's forehead, the front back upper strip and the back pad top section engage and protect the top of the wearer's head, the back pad back portion engages and protects the back or the wearer's head, the back pad back portion includes two back portion upper slots and two back portion lower slots, the upper back strap threads through the back portion upper slots, and the lower back strap threads through the back portion lower slots, the two front straps link the front pad front section to the earpieces, the first top strap links the front pad upper strip to the earpieces, and second top strap links the back pad top section to the earpieces, the chin strap is linked to the earpieces fastened around the wearer's chin, the earpieces are positioned over the wearer's ears, and the pad straps link the front pad and the back pad to the earpieces.
11: the wrestling headgear as claim 10, wherein
- the front pad upper strip is horizontally across the top of the wearer's head,
- and the back pad top section is generally in parallel to the front pad upper strip.
12: the wrestling headgear as claim 10, wherein
- the chin strap includes a chin strap cushion.
13: the wrestling headgear as claim 10, wherein
- the each pad strap is length-adjustable.
14: the wrestling headgear as claim 10, wherein
- the earpieces are made from hard plastic.
15: a wrestling headgear, comprising:
- elastic pad wrappings;
- a protective pad encased in the elastic pad wrappings;
- two earpieces encased in the elastic pad wrappings,
- and chin strap connected to the earpieces, wherein the protective pad includes a front section and three elongated strips parallely connected to the front section; the front section engages and protects a wearer's forehead, the elongated strips extend over the top and the back of the wearer's head, engage and protect the top and back of the wearer's head, the elastic pad wrappings include pad pockets encasing the protective pad and the earpieces; and the earpieces are positioned above and protect the wearer's ears.
16: the wrestling headgear as claim 15, wherein
- the elastic pad wrappings are made from elastic fabric.
17: the wrestling headgear as claim 15, wherein
- the protective pad is stitched to the elastic pad wrappings.
18: the wrestling headgear as claim 15, wherein
- the elastic pad wrappings include ear covers wrapped over the earpieces.
Type: Application
Filed: May 8, 2014
Publication Date: Nov 13, 2014
Inventor: Joe DaSilva (Pine Brook, NJ)
Application Number: 14/272,577
International Classification: A42B 3/12 (20060101); A42B 3/08 (20060101);