Head Gear Fitting System

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a fitting system for a helmet is provided. The fitting system includes a belt having supported racks coupled to a belt adjustment device. The belt adjustment device is operable to allow a user to tighten the belt, and release the belt at a single touch of a release actuator. The belt adjustment device and the racks are configured to hug the occiput of a user when the helmet is properly worn. The belt adjustment device is also operable to hold the rear straps of the helmet apart but is not attached to the helmet. The belt defines a collapsible button for securing a pad. The pad defines a substantially lateral compressed strip that is operable to urge the pad against the belt. The belt adjustment device and the belt are configured to allow rear straps of the helmet to approximately directly approach the chin of the user.

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         12 . A fastener apparatus, comprising: 
 a platform defining a hole; and    a button suspended over the hole by at least one resiliently collapsible leg coupling the button and the platform, the button having a footprint that fits within the hole, thereby allowing the button to resiliently collapse into the hole to form an approximately flat surface with the platform when force is applied to the button.    
     
     
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         15 . A padding apparatus for a helmet, the helmet having a belt at least partly disposed in an interior of the helmet, the belt defining a plurality of holes each having a rib positioned across the hole, the rib having an orientation and a width, the padding apparatus comprising: 
 a pad formed from a foam material, the pad comprising a plurality of compressed strips each corresponding to a particular rib of the belt and formed by compressing the foam material, each compressed strip having an approximately same orientation and an approximately same width as the corresponding particular rib, thereby configuring each compressed strip to receive the corresponding rib when the pad is woven through the plurality of holes of the belt.    
     
     
         16 . A padding apparatus for a helmet, the helmet having a belt at least partly disposed in an interior of the helmet, the padding apparatus comprising: 
 a pad having a length and formed from a foam material, the pad comprising at least one compressed strip disposed in a particular section of the pad and approximately along the length of the section of the pad, the compressed strip formed by compressing the foam material.    
     
     
         17 . The padding apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the compressed strip is arcuated.  
     
     
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         21 . The fastener apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the button comprises a center and an outer rim, wherein the center of the button is thicker than the outer rim of the button.  
     
     
         22 . The fastener apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the button comprises a face facing the hole, and further comprising an anchor operable to fit within a button hole of a member to be buttoned to the platform.  
     
     
         23 . The fastener apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the anchor comprises a ring having a first width approximately equal to a diameter of a button hole of a member to be buttoned to the platform.  
     
     
         24 . The fastener apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the platform, the leg, and the button are integrally formed from low density polyethylene.  
     
     
         25 . The padding apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the pad further comprises a compressed region that defines a button hole.  
     
     
         26 . The padding apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the pad further comprises a compressed region that defines a button hole, the compressed region having approximately a same shape and size of a button to be inserted through the button hole.  
     
     
         27 . The padding apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the pad further comprises a compressed region that defines a button hole.  
     
     
         28 . The padding apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the pad further comprises a compressed region that defines a button hole, the compressed region having approximately a same shape and size of a button to be inserted through the button hole.  
     
     
         29 . The padding apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the pad includes a plurality of sections disposed approximately along the width of the pad, each section separated from one or more adjacent sections by a compressed strip oriented approximately across the width of the pad.  
     
     
         30 . The padding apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the particular section corresponds to a portion of the belt disposed at the front-most portion of the interior of the helmet.