Chin protection system

Abstract

A chin protection system for releasable attachment to a wide variety of helmets through the use of an elastically-deformable helmet cover, a pliable retainer, and a chin protector. The system safely attaches to a helmet without any modifications to the helmet and therefore does not impact the warranty or safety rating of the helmet. The helmet cover is designed to stretch and conform to numerous different helmet styles and manufacturers, while serving as an attachment point for the pliable retainer. The pliable retainer provides the tensile force necessary to keep the chin protector in place throughout the range of movement common during sporting activities, as well as during an impact to the chin. The chin protection system may be utilized on any safety helmet including, but not limited to, bike helmets, skateboard helmets, rollerblade helmets, ski/snowboard helmets, motorcycle helmets, go-cart helmets, baseball and softball helmets, and climbing helmets.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A chin protection system for releasable attachment to a helmet ( 100 ) with a helmet shell ( 110 ) and a helmet ledge ( 120 ), comprising:
 A) an elastically-deformable helmet cover ( 200 ) including a helmet cover primary body ( 210 ) and a helmet cover skirt ( 220 ), wherein the helmet cover ( 200 ) has a helmet cover dextral side ( 201 ), a helmet cover sinistral side ( 202 ), a helmet cover front ( 203 ), a helmet cover rear ( 204 ), a helmet cover length ( 205 ), a helmet cover width ( 206 ), a helmet cover apex ( 207 ), a helmet cover transverse centerline ( 208 ), and a helmet cover longitudinal centerline ( 209 ), wherein the helmet cover ( 200 ) is stretchable so that (i) the helmet cover length ( 205 ) is variable by at least twenty percent from an unstretched state to a stretched state, and (ii) the helmet cover width ( 206 ) is variable by at least twenty percent from an unstretched state to a stretched state, such that the helmet cover primary body ( 210 ) conforms to the helmet shell ( 110 ) and the helmet cover skirt ( 220 ) cooperates with at least a portion of the helmet ledge ( 120 ) to retain helmet cover ( 200 ) on the helmet ( 100 );   B) a chin protector ( 300 ) having a protector dextral side ( 301 ) and a protector sinistral side ( 302 ); and   C) a pliable retainer ( 400 ) extending from the helmet cover dextral side ( 201 ) to the helmet cover sinistral side ( 202 ) wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) has a retainer dextral end ( 401 ) and a retainer sinistral end ( 402 ), wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) is connected to the helmet cover ( 200 ) with a primary retainer-to-cover connection ( 410 ) at a point between the helmet cover transverse centerline ( 208 ) and the helmet cover rear ( 204 ), the protector dextral side ( 301 ) is adjustably connected to the retainer dextral end ( 401 ), and the protector sinistral side ( 302 ) is adjustably connected to the retainer sinistral end ( 402 ).   
     
     
         2 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) is less elastic than the helmet cover ( 200 ). 
     
     
         3 . The chin protection system of  claim 2  wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) is at least twenty percent less elastic than the helmet cover ( 200 ). 
     
     
         4 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  wherein the primary retainer-to-cover connection ( 410 ) is located along the helmet cover longitudinal centerline ( 209 ). 
     
     
         5 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) is fixed to the helmet cover ( 200 ) to define a retainer axis ( 404 ) and a retainer axis angle ( 405 ) measured from the helmet cover transverse centerline ( 208 ). 
     
     
         6 . The chin protection system of  claim 5  wherein the retainer axis angle ( 405 ) is within a range of five degrees to forty-five degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  further including a first auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 420 ) connecting the pliable retainer ( 400 ) to the helmet cover dextral side ( 201 ), and a second auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 430 ) connecting the pliable retainer ( 400 ) to the helmet cover sinistral side ( 202 ). 
     
     
         8 . The chin protection system of  claim 7  wherein the first auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 420 ) is located at a point at which the helmet cover skirt ( 220 ) connects to the helmet cover primary body ( 210 ) at the helmet cover dextral side ( 201 ), and the second auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 430 ) is located at a point at which the helmet cover skirt ( 220 ) connects to the helmet cover primary body ( 210 ) at the helmet cover sinistral side ( 202 ). 
     
     
         9 . The chin protection system of  claim 8  wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) further includes a non-elastic dextral retainer-to-protector connection ( 440 ) connected to the pliable retainer ( 400 ) between the first auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 420 ) and the primary retainer-to-cover connection ( 410 ), and a non-elastic sinistral retainer-to-protector connection ( 450 ) connected to the pliable retainer ( 400 ) between the second auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 430 ) and the primary retainer-to-cover connection ( 410 ), and wherein the protector dextral side ( 301 ) is adjustably connected to the non-elastic dextral retainer-to-protector connection ( 440 ), and the protector sinistral side ( 302 ) is adjustably connected to the non-elastic sinistral retainer-to-protector connection ( 450 ). 
     
     
         10 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) has a retainer width ( 403 ) that is at least ten percent of the helmet cover length ( 205 ). 
     
     
         11 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) has a retainer width ( 403 ) that is at least one inch. 
     
     
         12 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  wherein a setback distance between the retainer axis ( 404 ) and the helmet cover transverse centerline ( 208 ) is at least ten percent of the helmet cover length ( 205 ). 
     
     
         13 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  wherein a setback distance between the retainer axis ( 404 ) and the helmet cover transverse centerline ( 208 ) is at least one inch. 
     
     
         14 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) is in tension when the elastically-deformable helmet cover ( 200 ) is installed on the helmet ( 100 ). 
     
     
         15 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  wherein the chin protector ( 300 ) further includes a protector contact region ( 303 ) that is concave in shape, padded, and configured to conform to the shape of a human chin. 
     
     
         16 . The chin protection system of  claim 1  wherein the chin protector ( 300 ) is non-elastic. 
     
     
         17 . A chin protection system for releasable attachment to a helmet ( 100 ) with a helmet shell ( 110 ) and a helmet ledge ( 120 ), comprising:
 A) an elastically-deformable helmet cover ( 200 ) including a helmet cover primary body ( 210 ) and a helmet cover skirt ( 220 ), wherein the helmet cover ( 200 ) has a helmet cover dextral side ( 201 ), a helmet cover sinistral side ( 202 ), a helmet cover front ( 203 ), a helmet cover rear ( 204 ), a helmet cover length ( 205 ), a helmet cover width ( 206 ), a helmet cover apex ( 207 ), a helmet cover transverse centerline ( 208 ), and a helmet cover longitudinal centerline ( 209 ), wherein the helmet cover ( 200 ) is stretchable so that (i) the helmet cover length ( 205 ) is variable by at least twenty percent from an unstretched state to a stretched state, and (ii) the helmet cover width ( 206 ) is variable by at least twenty percent from an unstretched state to a stretched state, such that the helmet cover primary body ( 210 ) conforms to the helmet shell ( 110 ) and the helmet cover skirt ( 220 ) cooperates with at least a portion of the helmet ledge ( 120 ) to retain helmet cover ( 200 ) on the helmet ( 100 );   B) a chin protector ( 300 ) having a protector dextral side ( 301 ), a protector sinistral side ( 302 ), and a protector contact region ( 303 ) that is concave in shape, padded, and configured to conform to the shape of a human chin, wherein the chin protector ( 300 ) is non-elastic; and   C) a pliable retainer ( 400 ) extending from the helmet cover dextral side ( 201 ) to the helmet cover sinistral side ( 202 ) wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) has a retainer dextral end ( 401 ) and a retainer sinistral end ( 402 ), wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) is less elastic than the helmet cover ( 200 ) and is connected to the helmet cover ( 200 ) along the helmet cover longitudinal centerline ( 209 ) with a primary retainer-to-cover connection ( 410 ) at a point between the helmet cover transverse centerline ( 208 ) and the helmet cover rear ( 204 ), the pliable retainer ( 400 ) has a retainer width ( 403 ) that is at least ten percent of the helmet cover length ( 205 ), the protector dextral side ( 301 ) is adjustably connected to the retainer dextral end ( 401 ), the protector sinistral side ( 302 ) is adjustably connected to the retainer sinistral end ( 402 ), wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) is fixed to the helmet cover ( 200 ) to define a retainer axis ( 404 ) and a retainer axis angle ( 405 ) measured from the helmet cover transverse centerline ( 208 ) wherein the retainer axis angle ( 405 ) is within a range of five degrees to forty-five degrees, wherein a setback distance between the retainer axis ( 404 ) and the helmet cover transverse centerline ( 208 ) is at least ten percent of the helmet cover length ( 205 ), and wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) is in tension when the elastically-deformable helmet cover ( 200 ) is installed on the helmet ( 100 ).   
     
     
         18 . The chin protection system of  claim 17  further including a first auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 420 ) connecting the pliable retainer ( 400 ) to the helmet cover dextral side ( 201 ), and a second auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 430 ) connecting the pliable retainer ( 400 ) to the helmet cover sinistral side ( 202 ). 
     
     
         19 . The chin protection system of  claim 18  wherein the first auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 420 ) is located at a point at which the helmet cover skirt ( 220 ) connects to the helmet cover primary body ( 210 ) at the helmet cover dextral side ( 201 ), and the second auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 430 ) is located at a point at which the helmet cover skirt ( 220 ) connects to the helmet cover primary body ( 210 ) at the helmet cover sinistral side ( 202 ). 
     
     
         20 . The chin protection system of  claim 19  wherein the pliable retainer ( 400 ) further includes a non-elastic dextral retainer-to-protector connection ( 440 ) connected to the pliable retainer ( 400 ) between the first auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 420 ) and the primary retainer-to-cover connection ( 410 ), and a non-elastic sinistral retainer-to-protector connection ( 450 ) connected to the pliable retainer ( 400 ) between the second auxiliary retainer-to-cover connection ( 430 ) and the primary retainer-to-cover connection ( 410 ), and wherein the protector dextral side ( 301 ) is adjustably connected to the non-elastic dextral retainer-to-protector connection ( 440 ), and the protector sinistral side ( 302 ) is adjustably connected to the non-elastic sinistral retainer-to-protector connection ( 450 ).