Granted Patent B2

US 9,839,252 · App. 13/484,590 · Granted Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

Claims (34)

1. A visor system for a protective sport helmet configured to be worn on a head of a user, the protective sport helmet comprising a front configured for facing a front region of the head, a back configured for facing a back region of the head, a left side configured for facing a left side region of the head, and a right side configured for facing a right side region of the head, the protective sport helmet comprising an outer shell and inner padding disposed within the outer shell, the visor system comprising:

a) a visor configured for protecting at least part of a face of the user, the visor being transparent to allow the user to see through the visor, the visor comprising an inner surface configured for facing the user's face, an outer surface opposite the inner surface and configured for facing away from the user's face, a top edge, a bottom edge, a left connector, and a right connector;

b) a left visor support for connecting the visor on the left side of the protective sport helmet, the left visor support being fastenable to the outer shell on the left side of the protective sport helmet; and

c) a right visor support for connecting the visor on the right side of the protective sport helmet, the right visor support being fastenable to the outer shell on the right side of the protective sport helmet, and the right visor support and the left visor support being separate from one another;

wherein the left connector of the visor is toollessly connectable to and toollessly disconnectable from the left visor support and the right connector of the visor is toollessly connectable to and toollessly disconnectable from the right visor support to allow the user to toollessly connect the visor to the left visor support and the right visor support and toollessly disconnect the visor from the left visor support and the right visor support; and

wherein the visor system is configured to define an open gap forward of the outer shell from the top edge of the visor to the outer shell when the left visor support and the right visor support are connecting the visor on the left side of the protective sport helmet and the right side of the protective sport helmet.

2. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein the open gap extends along at least a majority of the top edge of the visor.

3. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein the open gap extends along at least three-quarters of the top edge of the visor.

4. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein at least a majority of the top edge of the visor is exposed when the left visor support and the right visor support are connecting the visor on the left side of the protective sport helmet and the right side of the protective sport helmet.

5. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the top edge of the visor is exposed when the left visor support and the right visor support are connecting the visor on the left side of the protective sport helmet and the right side of the protective sport helmet.

6. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein at least a majority of the top edge of the visor is substantially straight when the top edge of the visor is viewed in a longitudinal direction of the protective sport helmet and in a transversal direction of the protective sport helmet.

7. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the top edge of the visor is substantially straight when the top edge of the visor is viewed in a longitudinal direction of the protective sport helmet and in a transversal direction of the protective sport helmet.

8. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein the left connector of the visor and the left visor support implement a left actuator manually operable by the user to disconnect them from one another when the user wants to detach the visor and the right connector of the visor and the right visor support implement a right actuator manually operable by the user to disconnect them from one another when the user wants to detach the visor.

9. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein the left connector of the visor and the left visor support are configured to be clipped together and the right connector of the visor and the right visor support are configured to be clipped together.

10. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein the left connector of the visor and the left visor support implement a left clip for clipping the visor on the left side of the protective sport helmet and the right connector of the visor and the right visor support implement a right clip for clipping the visor on the right side of the protective sport helmet.

11. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein: the left visor support comprises a visor-engaging connector toollessly connectable to and toollessly disconnectable from the left connector of the visor; the right visor support comprises a visor-engaging connector toollessly connectable to and toollessly disconnectable from the right connector of the visor; a given one of the left connector of the visor and the visor-engaging connector of the left visor support is a left male connector and the other one of the left connector of the visor and the visor-engaging connector of the left visor support is a left female connector; and a given one of the right connector of the visor and the visor-engaging connector of the right visor support is a right male connector and the other one of the right connector of the visor and the visor-engaging connector of the right visor support is a right female connector.

12. The visor system of claim 8 , wherein the left connector of the visor comprises the left actuator and the right connector of the visor comprises the right actuator.

13. The visor system of claim 12 , wherein each of the left actuator and the right actuator is manually operable as a push button.

14. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein the left visor support and the right visor support are configured such that a position of the visor relative to the outer shell is adjustable.

15. The visor system of claim 14 , wherein the position of the visor relative to the outer shell is adjustable in a longitudinal direction of the protective sport helmet.

16. The visor system of claim 15 , wherein the position of the visor relative to the outer shell is adjustable in a height direction of the protective sport helmet.

17. The visor system of claim 1 , wherein each of the left visor support and the right visor support further comprises a base fastenable to the outer shell and a visor-engaging connector fastenable to the base and toollessly connectable to and toollessly disconnectable from a corresponding one of the left connector of the visor and the right connector of the visor.

18. The visor system of claim 17 , wherein the base and the visor-engaging connector are configured such that a position of the visor-engaging connector relative to the base is adjustable.

19. The visor system of claim 18 , wherein the position of the visor-engaging connector relative to the base is adjustable in a longitudinal direction of the protective sport helmet.

20. The visor system of claim 18 , wherein the visor-engaging connector comprises a slot for receiving a fastener fastening the visor-engaging connector to the base, the slot being elongated to allow adjustment of the position of the visor-engaging connector relative to the base.

21. The visor system of claim 17 , wherein the base is configured such that a position of the base relative to the outer shell is adjustable.

22. The visor system of claim 21 , wherein the position of the base relative to the outer shell is adjustable in a height direction of the protective sport helmet.

23. The visor system of claim 21 , wherein the base comprises a slot for receiving a fastener fastening the base to the outer shell, the slot being elongated to allow adjustment of the position of the base relative to the outer shell.

24. The visor system of claim 17 , wherein the base and the visor-engaging connector are interlocked when the visor-engaging connector is fastened to the base to protect against movement of the visor-engaging connector relative to the base upon an impact on the visor.

25. The visor system of claim 17 , wherein the base comprises an interlocking structure and the visor-engaging connector comprises an interlocking structure which interlocks with the interlocking structure of the base when the visor-engaging connector is fastened to the base.

26. The visor system of claim 25 , wherein a given one of the interlocking structure of the base and the interlocking structure of the visor-engaging connector comprises a plurality of interlocking projections and the other one of the interlocking structure of the base and the interlocking structure of the visor-engaging connector comprises a plurality of interlocking recesses receiving respective ones of the interlocking projections.

27. The visor system of claim 26 , wherein the interlocking projections and the interlocking recesses are spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of the protective sport helmet.

28. The visor system of claim 26 , wherein each of the interlocking projections and each of the interlocking recesses is elongated.

29. A protective sport helmet comprising the visor system of claim 1 .

Assignments (16)