Sports helmet with integrated liner air pump

Abstract

A sports helmet (for example a football helmet, lacrosse helmet, hockey helmet, or baseball helmet), has an inflatable liner which includes an integrated, finger-operable air pump. The liner further includes an integrated, finger-operable deflation valve that is separate from the air pump. The pump and deflation valve are operable by respective features which protrude through holes in the helmet shell, which enables the wearer of the helmet to conveniently operate the liner by inflating or deflating it as desired, without any external assistance or accessories.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sports helmet comprising:
 a shell;   an inflatable liner disposed within the shell, the inflatable liner comprising a top sheet of flexible polymer material bonded to a bottom sheet of flexible polymer material to form a series of compartments therein;   the compartments comprising a pump chamber, at least one intermediate chamber, and an exhaust chamber;   the pump chamber in fluid communication through a first passage with the at least one intermediate chamber, the first passage having a one-way valve for permitting air to pass from the pump chamber into the at least one intermediate chamber, and preventing air from passing from the at least one intermediate chamber into the pump chamber;   the at least one intermediate chamber in fluid communication with the exhaust chamber through a second passage;   the pump chamber provided with a finger-operable pump comprising a pump button and having an inlet therein for the admission of environmental air;   the exhaust chamber provided with a normally-closed valve having a valve cap, the valve gating the passage of air through an exhaust hole formed in the liner, the valve cap being finger-operable to open the valve to allow air within the liner to escape the liner through the exhaust hole;   the pump button situated in a first hole formed in the shell and the valve cap situated in a second hole formed in the shell, such that the pump button and valve cap extend through the shell; and   shock-absorbing padding disposed over the liner.   
     
     
         2 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  wherein the valve comprises a generally cylindrical valve seat, a valve stem, and a spring, the spring contacting the valve stem and biasing the valve stem against the valve seat so that a face of the valve stem is normally in airtight contact with a face of the valve seat, the valve cap disposed so that finger pressure on the valve cap moves the valve stem against the force of the spring, such that the face of the valve stem moves out of contact with the face of the valve seat while finger pressure is applied, thereby opening the valve. 
     
     
         3 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  wherein the pump button is formed in the top sheet and the inlet hole is formed in the pump button. 
     
     
         4 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  wherein the pump further comprises a foam insert within the pump button; 
     
     
         5 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  wherein the first hole and second hole are situated in the rear area of the shell. 
     
     
         6 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  wherein the liner is inflatable without use of an external pump. 
     
     
         7 . The sports helmet of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a face guard removably attached to the shell by a retaining clip; 
 the retaining clip comprising a T-nut body attached to one surface of the shell, a first retention arm extending outwardly from the body and terminating in a first retention curve, and a second retention arm extending outwardly from the body parallel to the first retention arm and terminating in a second retention curve, the first and second retention curves curving in opposite directions to define a channel for receiving and holding a wire member of the face guard. 
 
     
     
         8 . A sports helmet comprising:
 a shell having a rear area, a first side and a second side;   an inflatable liner disposed within the shell, the inflatable liner comprising an integrated pump for inflating the liner and an exhaust valve for deflating the liner, the pump being separate from the valve;   the pump operable through a first hole formed in the shell in the rear area of the shell on the first side; and   the valve operable through a second hole formed in the shell in the rear area on the second side.   
     
     
         9 . The sports helmet of  claim 8  wherein the liner comprises a top sheet of flexible polymer material bonded to a bottom sheet of flexible polymer material to form a series of compartments therein;
 the compartments comprising a pump chamber, at least one intermediate chamber, and an exhaust chamber; 
 the pump chamber in fluid communication through a first passage with the at least one intermediate chamber; 
 the at least one intermediate chamber in fluid communication with the exhaust chamber through a second passage; 
 the pump chamber provided with a finger-operable pump comprising a pump button and having an inlet therein for the admission of environmental air; 
 the exhaust chamber provided with a normally-closed valve having a valve cap, the valve gating the passage of air through an exhaust hole formed in the liner, the valve cap being finger-operable to open the valve to allow air within the liner to escape the liner through the exhaust hole; 
 the pump button situated in the first hole and the valve cap situated in the second hole. 
 
     
     
         10 . The sports helmet of  claim 9  wherein the first passage has a one-way valve for permitting air to pass from the pump chamber into the at least one intermediate chamber, and preventing air from passing from the at least one intermediate chamber into the pump chamber. 
     
     
         11 . The sports helmet of  claim 9  wherein the valve comprises a generally cylindrical valve seat, a valve stem, and a spring, the spring contacting the valve stem and biasing the valve stem against the valve seat so that a face of the valve stem is normally in airtight contact with a face of the valve seat, the valve cap disposed so that finger pressure on the valve cap moves the valve stem against the force of the spring, such that the face of the valve stem moves out of contact with the face of the valve seat while finger pressure is applied, thereby opening the valve. 
     
     
         12 . The sports helmet of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a face guard removably attached to the shell by a retaining clip; 
 the retaining clip comprising a T-nut body attached to one surface of the shell, a first retention arm extending outwardly from the body and terminating in a first retention curve, and a second retention arm extending outwardly from the body parallel to the first retention arm and terminating in a second retention curve, the first and second retention curves curving in opposite directions to define a channel for receiving and holding a wire member of the face guard.