Protective headwear

Abstract

A protective hat comprising a plurality of resiliently deformable shock absorbing members positioned adjacent to the skull of a wearer of the hat, wherein each shock absorbing member is shaped to create a cavity between the shock absorbing member and the skull to allow for inward deflection of the shock absorbing member towards the skull as a result of the shock absorbing member being impacted by an object.

1 . A protective hat comprising a plurality of resiliently deformable shock absorbing members positioned adjacent to the skull of a wearer of the hat, wherein each shock absorbing member is shaped to create a cavity between the shock absorbing member and the skull to allow for inward deflection of the shock absorbing member towards the skull as a result of said shock absorbing member being impacted by an object. 
     
     
         2 . A protective hat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the inner surface of the shock absorbing member can deflect into the cavity as a result of impact from an object. 
     
     
         3 . A protective hat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the inner surface of each shock absorbing member is shaped so that upon deflecting into the cavity, more of the inner surface contacts the skull so that the impact load is spread over a larger scull contacting area. 
     
     
         4 . A protective hat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each shock absorbing member has a perimeter within the bounds of which is defined the cavity. 
     
     
         5 . A protective hat as claimed in  claim 4  wherein there is a continuous lip at the perimeter of each shock absorbing member. 
     
     
         6 . A protective hat as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the lip is positioned adjacent to the skull of the wearer of the hat and the cavity is distal more the skull of the wearer. 
     
     
         7 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A protective hat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the shock absorbing members are interconnected. 
     
     
         10 . A protective hat as claimed in  claim 1  where the shock absorbing members are interconnected to each other in a part spherical configuration. 
     
     
         11 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A protective hat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein any gap between two or more adjacent shock absorbing members is not large enough to allow a golf ball or similarly sized projectile from contacting a shock absorbing member and directly impact the skull. 
     
     
         15 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A protective hat as claimed in  claim 1  wherein at least two sectors of linked shock absorbing members are provided, each sector being integrally molded there being a live hinge between shock absorbing members of the sector to interconnect the shock absorbing members of a sector together and wherein peripheral shock absorbing members of each sector are able to connect to peripheral shock absorbing members of an adjacent said sector by connection clips. 
     
     
         18 . A protective hat as claimed in  claim 17  wherein said connection clips are integrally formed with a said shock absorbing member. 
     
     
         19 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A liner for a hat, the liner comprising a plurality of connected resiliently deformable shock absorbing members, wherein each shock absorbing member is shaped defining a cavity to be directed towards the skull of a wearer, the member able to deflect inwardly as a result of receiving an impact from an object. 
     
     
         27 . A liner as claimed in  claim 26  wherein said members are frisbee-shaped. 
     
     
         28 . A liner for a hat as claimed in  claim 26  wherein the shock absorbing members are positioned adjacent to the skull of a wearer of a hat when the liner is located in the hat, the cavity presented towards the skull. 
     
     
         29 . A liner for a hat as claimed in  claim 26  wherein the inner surface of each shock absorbing member can deflect into the cavity as a result of an impact from an object. 
     
     
         30 . A liner for a hat as claimed  claim 28  wherein as a result of the inner surface of the shock absorbing member deflecting into the cavity, more of the inner surface pressed onto the skull so that the impact load is spread over a larger area. 
     
     
         31 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A resiliently deformable shock absorbing member for a hat, the shock absorbing member being substantially flat and having two opposed face sides, one face side being concave in shape to allow for deflection of the shock absorbing member as a result of an impact from an object on the opposite face side. 
     
     
         34 . A resilient shock absorbing member as claimed in  claim 33  wherein the one face side of the shock absorbing member can deflect into the cavity as a result of an impact from an object. 
     
     
         35 - 42 . (canceled) 
     
     
         43 . A liner for a hat comprising of a plurality of shock absorbing members able to sit between the dome of a hat and the skull of the wearer and help protect the skull from impact damage from airborne objects, wherein each shock absorbing member comprises a partial dome of a resiliently deformable material, presenting an object contacting side and a concave skull facing side and having a perimeter to be positioned proximal most the skull of the wearer. 
     
     
         44 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . A shock absorbing member to be incorporated as part of a hat with like shock absorbing members to provide protection to the skull of the wearer of the hat, the shock absorbing member comprising, as a unitary construction, a thin walled outwardly arcuate spanning region peripherally bounded by an annular abutment region of a resiliently flexible material presenting an airborne object impacting face side and a concave skull facing side, the abutment region to be located proximate most the skull and configured to distribute any object impact loading received by the shock absorbing member to the skull and to resist inward collapse of the spanning region during any object impact loading imparted thereon. 
     
     
         48 - 51 . (canceled)