Ear protector for helmet, helmet and method for protecting ears

Abstract

A detachable ear protector ( 13 ) for attachment to a helmet ( 11 ) having a chin strap ( 25 ). The ear protector comprising a support member ( 35 ), a rigid protective outer cover ( 37 ) and an inner pocket ( 39 ). The support member ( 35 ) being shaped to cover an ear of a wearer of the helmet. The outer cover ( 37 ) being formed of material resistant to high impact and integrally formed with the support member ( 35 ) to provide a high impact protective region covering a major portion of the support member ( 35 ) on the outer side. The inner pocket ( 39 ) being formed of resilient ear contacting material attached to the inner periphery of the support member ( 35 ) defining an inner recess ( 61 ) to proximately accommodate the pinna of the wearer's ear within the pocket. The pocket ( 39 ) being partly attached to the side edges of the support member ( 35 ) to define a pair of openings. One opening ( 63 ) is disposed at the bottom of the support member ( 35 ) and another opening ( 65 ) is disposed at the top of the support member. The openings are sized to pass the chin strap ( 25 ) through so that the ear protector ( 13 ) is positively engaged by the chin strap against the side of the head and covering the ear of the wearer, when fitted thereon.

1 . A detachable ear protector for attachment to a helmet having a chin strap, comprising: 
 a support member shaped to cover an ear of a wearer of the helmet when attached thereto;    a rigid protective outer cover formed of material resistant to high impact and integrally formed with said support member to provide a high impact protective region covering a major portion of the support member on the outer side thereof; and    an inner pocket formed of resilient ear contacting material attached to the outer periphery on the inner side of said support member defining an inner recess to proximately accommodate the pinna of the wearer's ear within the pocket; said pocket being partly attached to the side edges of said support member to define a pair of openings, one opening being disposed at the bottom of said support member and another opening being disposed at the top of said support member; wherein said openings are sized to pass the chin strap therethrough so that the ear protector is positively engaged by the chin strap against the side of the head and covering the ear of the wearer, when fitted thereon.    
   
   
       2 . An ear protector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said support member and said outer cover are formed with juxtaposed central apertures to overlie the ear canal of the wearer; said outer cover having a rigid boss circumscribing and interconnecting said central apertures; and said boss being formed with a retentioning means to retain a central ear covering member.  
   
   
       3 . An ear protector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said ear covering member comprises a rotatable closure to selectively open and close a passage through said central apertures to facilitate hearing or access to the wearer's ear.  
   
   
       4 . An ear protector as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said ear covering member comprises a housing for locating a loudspeaker of an audio system within said central apertures.  
   
   
       5 . An ear protector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said outer cover is formed with an outwardly projecting locating tab along the top thereof, said locating tab being shaped to fit within a receiving slot formed within said helmet, so that when said locating member is received therein, the ear protector is correctly aligned with the helmet.  
   
   
       6 . An ear protector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the top of the ear protector is convexly configured of complementary shape to a concave recess provided along the edge of the helmet proximate to the location of a wearer's ear, when correctly worn by the wearer, so that the ear protector becomes contiguous with the helmet when positively retained by the chin strap of the helmet.  
   
   
       7 . An ear protector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bottom opening defines a comparatively small slot at the base thereof and said top opening defines a major opening to the pocket along the top of said support member so that said pocket is adapted to fit a triangular divided chin strap therethrough, the buckle and divider of the chin strap being able to pass through said opening and said slot of said pocket, and the respective front and rear straps of the helmet attaching straps of the chin strap may project through the pocket and said opening at opposing ends thereof adjacent the front and rear edges, respectively, of said pocket.  
   
   
       8 . An ear protector as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the ear protector is sized to be proximate to the size of the triangle defined by the divider and the helmet attaching straps relative to the edge of the helmet, so that the ear protector may be positively retained by the triangular divided chin strap between the divider and the edge of the helmet.  
   
   
       9 . A helmet having an outer protective high impact resistant shell and a resilient inner liner for accommodating the head of a wearer, the helmet comprising: a triangular divided chin strap having a buckle divider; and a pair of ear protectors, each ear protector being of the type as claimed in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       10 . A method for covering the ears of a wearer of a helmet have a lower edge cut above the ears, comprising: 
 covering the ears with ear protectors fixed to the chin strap of the helmet; and    positively locating the ear protectors in an adjacent and juxtaposed relationship with the lower edge of the helmet directly above the ears, contiguous with the shell of the helmet.    
   
   
       11 - 13 . (canceled)