Disposable Helmet

Abstract

A disposable protective headgear and method of forming the same. The disposable protective headgear is configured to provide basic minimum head protection and is disposable. Preferably, disposable protective headgear is made with anti-microbial and biodegradable materials. The disposable helmet includes a side panel, a top panel, a retaining strap, and an optional sunshade. The top panel and is preferably formed with a non-woven fabric material retaining a plurality of ribbed pads in a spaced apart relation. The side panel is joined with a peripheral edge of the top panel, and is also formed of a non-woven fabric material enclosing a pad element, with the optional sunshade extending across the forward arch. The retaining strap extends under the chin of the wearer to retain the disposable helmet in place. One or more reflective stripes may be applied to the side panel and/or the top panel.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A protective headgear, comprising:
 a top panel formed with a plurality of ribbed pads disposed in a spaced apart relation and enclosed by an inner layer and an outer layer of a fabric material;   a side panel formed by a circumferential pad dimensioned to encircle a wearer's cranium, the circumferential pad enclosed by a first layer and a second layer of the fabric material joined by a peripheral seam; and   the top panel joined by a circumferential seam with an upper edge of the side panel.   
     
     
         2 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric material is a non-woven fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , the side panel further comprising:
 a temporal pad portion downwardly protruding anterior of an ear cutout.   
     
     
         4 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , the side panel further comprising:
 an occipital pad portion extending around a posterior end of the protective headgear.   
     
     
         5 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , the side panel further comprising:
 a frontal pad portion dimensioned to extend across an anterior end of the protective headgear.   
     
     
         6 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , the further comprising:
 a chinstrap joined with a lower end of the side panel and dimensioned to extend beneath a chin of the wearer to retain the protective headgear on the wearer's cranium.   
     
     
         7 . The protective headgear of  claim 1 , the top panel further comprising:
 a plurality of longitudinal seams interposed between each of the plurality of ribbed pads, the longitudinal seams retaining the plurality of ribbed pads in the spaced apart relation in the top panel.   
     
     
         8 . A method of forming a protective headgear, comprising:
 forming an inner layer and an outer layer of a top panel, wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are substantially circular panel of a fabric material;   forming a plurality of ribbed pads having a length greater that a width of each of the plurality of ribbed pads;   positioning the plurality of ribbed pads between the inner layer and the outer layer;   joining the inner layer and the outer layer to contain the plurality of ribbed pads within the top panel to retain each of the plurality of ribbed pads in a spaced apart relation;   forming a first layer and a second layer of a side panel from the fabric material;   forming a circumferential pad dimensioned to encircle a wearer's cranium;   positioning the circumferential pad between the first layer and the second layer of the side panel;   joining the first layer and the second layer of the side panel along a peripheral seam to contain the circumferential pad within the first layer and the second layer of the side panel; and
 joining the top panel and the second panel via a circumferential seam. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the fabric material is a non-woven fabric. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the joining is via one or more of a stitch, an adhesive, a thermal, and a sonic weld. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 forming a temporal pad at an anterior end of the circumferential pad.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 forming an occipital pad at a posterior end of the circumferential pad, wherein the occipital pad has a height dimensioned to cover a nape of a neck of the wearer.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 forming a frontal pad at an anterior portion of the circumferential pad.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 joining opposed terminal ends of the circumferential pad.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 attaching a reflective material to join the opposed terminal ends of the side panel.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 attaching a chinstrap with opposed sides of the circumferential pad.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the inner layer and the outer layer of the top panel are substantially identical. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first layer and a second layer of the side panel are substantially identical.