Looking for breakthrough ideas for innovation challenges? Try Patsnap Eureka!

Faceguard

a faceguard and face mask technology, applied in the field of faceguards, can solve the problems of wearer injury, wearer communication impairment, wearer drinking without removing the faceguard, etc., and achieve the effects of improving visibility for wearer, convenient manufacture, and convenient installation

Inactive Publication Date: 2011-03-17
WISMANN JOSEPH B
View PDF22 Cites 14 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The present invention provides an injection molded one piece faceguard with a clear viewing surrounded by a frame area reaching down over the mouth and chin. The area covering the mouth is provided with slots or otherwise shaped apertures which are too small for finger penetration but allow a drinking straw to pass through and provide for breathing without fogging of the viewing area and for easy communication with others. The faceguard is shaped so that when it is mounted onto a standard football helmet, the edges are tapered and / or contoured to blend in with the general shape of the helmet so that the resulting interface is generally smooth with minimal irregularities or protruding edges or points. Even the fasteners are attached in such a way as to minimize irregularities or protruding edges. It is expected that the faceguard will be attached in a fixed manner such that it will not easily detach or pivot during use. The overall shape of the faceguard is somewhat streamlined to blend in with the smooth streamlined nature of a football helmet.

Problems solved by technology

If Jarvis were to extend his faceguard down to protect these areas of the face, breathing would cause fogging, communication would be impaired, and the wearer would have difficulty drinking without removing the faceguard.
However, DuVall fails to address the fact that grabbing can, in fact, still occur to the left and right of the wearer's upper face opening and that the penetration that is allowed by the mask (as shown in FIG. 3) may still be enough to cause injury to the wearer.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Faceguard
  • Faceguard
  • Faceguard

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Embodiment Construction

[0030]In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a faceguard to be mounted onto a helmet such as a standard football helmet which prevents penetration of opponents fingers, etc. into the face area and reduces the possibility of an opponent grabbing the faceguard and twisting or using it as a tool to throw the user to the ground.

[0031]The present invention achieves its intention as a safety device with the following components as referenced in the drawings: A molded main viewing window 18 and lower face protection section 19 make up the two main sections of the faceguard 8. Molded in left and right mounting arms 22 and mounting tabs 12R and 12L are provided with flush elastomeric mounting bushings 10 through which screws 11 are passed and threaded into threaded insert 15 to attach the faceguard 8 to the helmet 14. There exists a bridge 24 that is a molded feature to connect and strengthen the mounting tabs 12R and 12L with the main viewing window 18 of the faceguard ...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

PUM

No PUM Login to View More

Abstract

A faceguard to be mounted on a football helmet which greatly reduces the ability of an opposing player to penetrate the exterior surface of the faceguard and grasp, with his / her hands, the faceguard and rotate the wearer's head in such a way as to cause injury to the wearer's head, neck, or spine. Furthermore, the faceguard will accomplish the above stated while still providing appropriate ventilation for the wearer and allow the wearer to receive water from a standard squeeze type sports water bottle. The faceguard is provided with a flush elastomeric mounting bushing to make the faceguard simpler to manufacture and easier and less awkward to mount to a football helmet. The flush elastomeric mounting bushing provides shock absorption between the faceguard and the helmet at the mounting points. The flush feature of the mounting bushing provides an additional safety benefit of decreasing the likelihood that the mounting will be caught on a player's uniform or cause any puncture or scrape to the skin of another player. The flush feature also makes it difficult for an opposing player to grip or hold the facemask of the wearer. The faceguard is constructed of a single body of injection molded clear or tinted plastic which can withstand high-impact in order to sustain the abuse required of such a device in the game of football.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to the field of protective faceguards and facemasks for use on protective helmets worn by participants playing various sports such as football, rugby, lacrosse, and hockey.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Various activities in industry, the military, and sports require the use of a helmet with a faceguard. The faceguard must protect against the anticipated hazards while providing for maximum achievable vision, appropriate ventilation, and communication. A wide variety of faceguards accommodate these needs by use of metal rods welded together with spaces between the rods to allow for visibility, ventilation, and communication. Others are constructed of non-metallic materials which replace the metal rods. Finally, some are constructed of durable, transparent material that has strength, impact resistance, melting point, and other characteristics that protect against the anticipated hazards.[0003]A variety of fasteners are used to secur...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to View More

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to View More
IPC IPC(8): A42B1/08A41D13/00
CPCA42B3/20
Inventor WISMANN, JOSEPH B.
Owner WISMANN JOSEPH B
Who we serve
  • R&D Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • IP Professional
Why Patsnap Eureka
  • Industry Leading Data Capabilities
  • Powerful AI technology
  • Patent DNA Extraction
Social media
Patsnap Eureka Blog
Learn More
PatSnap group products