Pliable protective draperies for safety helmets

Abstract

Pliable draping apparatus or systems for use with a safety helmet for protecting a user's face, neck and/or ears. The pliable draping material includes a helmet engaging portion and a protection portion coupled to the helmet engaging portion. The protection portion protects at least one of a user's mouth, neck, and ears. The protection apparatus also includes a helmet engaging portion with features allowing easy removing coupling to preexisting clips on various types of safety helmets. In one illustrative embodiment, the helmet engaging portion may be formed as a band of elastic material having reinforced slits for connection to attachment clips on different safety helmets. In some embodiments, the pliable draping system may include a removable and adjustable face mask portion for protection of a user's face. The system may include a sleeve allowing the face mask portion to be stored when not in use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pliable protection draping system for use with a safety helmet, comprising:
 a helmet engaging portion that contacts at least a portion of a safety helmet upon installation and a plurality of structures for removable attachment to preexisting clips disposed on the safety helmet; and   a protection portion comprising a pliable material attached to the helmet engaging portion that drapes down past a rim of the helm to cover a portion of a user's head.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the helmet engaging portion comprises at least a first band of elastic material. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of structures for removable attachment to preexisting clips disposed on the safety helmet comprises a plurality of reinforced slits formed in the at least first band of elastic material. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising at least one removable closure for sealing a portion of a reinforced slit. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the helmet engaging portion further comprises a second band of elastic material, one side of the second band of elastic material attached to a side of the at least first band of elastic material another along their respective lengths. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of structures for removable attachment to preexisting clips disposed on comprises a plurality slits formed by spaces between the at least first band of elastic material and second band of elastic material. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the protection portion comprising a pliable material attached to the helmet engaging portion drapes down past a rim of the helm to cover at least one of a user's mouth, neck, and ears. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the protection portion comprises a draping material that covers the back of the user's head, neck and ears with a thermal insulating material. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a removable and adjustable face mask for protection of a user's face, the removable and adjustable face mask attachable to the protection portion. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the removable and adjustable face mask is constructed of a pliable draping material. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a sleeve disposed on the protection portion on position disposed over a rear portion of a user's head, the sleeve having at least one open side and sized to receive the removable and adjustable face mask. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the protection position is constructed of a thermally insulating material. 
     
     
         13 . A pliable protection draping system for use with a safety helmet, comprising:
 a helmet engaging portion formed of a pliable material that contacts at least a portion of a safety helmet exterior surface upon installation and includes a plurality of slits formed therein for removable attachment to preexisting clips disposed on the safety helmet; and   a protection portion comprising a pliable material attached to the helmet engaging portion that drapes down past a rim of the helm to cover a portion of a user's head.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the helmet engaging portion comprises at least a first band of elastic material. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the protection portion comprises a draping material that covers the back of the user's head, neck and ears with a thermal insulating material. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising a removable and adjustable face mask for protection of a user's face, the removable and adjustable face mask attachable to the protection portion. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the removable and adjustable face mask is constructed of a pliable draping material. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a sleeve disposed on the protection portion on position disposed over a rear portion of a user's head, the sleeve having at least one open side and sized to receive the removable and adjustable face mask. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the removable and adjustable face mask is attached to the protection portion by at least a first adjustable strap assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the removable and adjustable face mask is attachable to the protection portion by overlapping corresponding hook and loop connectors disposed thereon.