Helmet having magnetically coupled cheek pads

1. A helmet, comprising:

protective layers comprising a protective shell and an inner protective layer, the protective layers configured to cover at least a portion of a user's head;

a cheek pad configured to be releasably coupled within the protective layers, the cheek pad comprising:

an emergency release strap,

a padding layer, and

a pad back plate comprising one or more first risers, wherein at least one of the one or more first risers comprises both an embedded magnet and ramped sides; and

a helmet back plate coupled to the inner protective layer, the helmet back plate comprising one or more second risers comprising ramped sides corresponding to the ramped sides of the at least one of the one or more first risers, the one or more second risers configured to be magnetically coupled to, and self-centered with, the first risers of the pad back plate to couple the cheek pad to the protective layers;

wherein the ramped sides of the one or more second risers of the helmet back plate are designed to decouple the pad back plate from the helmet back plate when the pad back plate is pulled in a direction toward a bottom helmet opening at an angle steeper than a ramp angle of the ramped sides of the one or more first risers; and

wherein the cheek pad is designed to be removed from the protective layers of the helmet while the protective layers cover at least the portion of the user's head.

2. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the emergency release strap is directly connected to the cheek pad and is accessible at the base of the helmet when the cheek pad is installed in the helmet.

3. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the cheek pad comprises foam encased in nylon; and the pad back plate comprises high density polyethylene (HDPE).

4. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second risers of the pad back plate comprise a recessed area.

5. The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the helmet back plate comprises high density polyethylene (HDPE).

6. The helmet of claim 4 , wherein the one or more second risers also comprises an embedded magnet.

7. The helmet of claim 6 , wherein the ramped sides of the one or more first risers and the ramped sides of the one or more second risers are angled at approximately 45 degrees.

8. The helmet of claim 1 , further comprising a chin strap that secures the helmet in place on the users head;

the chin strap comprises a first strap and a second strap;

the chin strap comprises a closure for coupling the first and the second straps;

wherein the first strap comprises a first magnet coupled to an end of the first strap; and

wherein the closure comprises a second magnet configured to couple to the first magnet to secure the end of the first strap.

9. A helmet, comprising:

a protective shell configured to cover at least a portion of a user's head;

a cheek pad configured to be disposed within the protective shell, the cheek pad comprising:

an emergency release strap directly connected to the cheek pad that is accessible at a base of the helmet when the cheek pad is disposed within the protective shell,

a padding layer, and

a pad back plate comprising a first riser with ramped sides; and

a helmet back plate coupled to the protective shell, the helmet back plate comprising a second riser with ramped sides configured to be magnetically coupled, and self centered, to the first riser in the cheek pad, wherein the first riser, the second riser, or both comprise at least one embedded magnet;

wherein the ramped sides of the first riser and second riser are designed to decouple the pad back plate from the helmet back plate when the pad back plate is pulled in a direction toward a bottom helmet opening at an angle steeper than a ramp angle of the ramped sides of the first riser or the second riser; and

wherein the cheek pad is designed to be removed from the protective shell of the helmet while the protective shell covers at least the portion of the user's head.

10. The helmet of claim 9 , wherein:

the second riser comprises ramped sides corresponding to the ramped sides of the first riser.

11. The helmet of claim 9 , wherein the first or second riser comprises a recessed area.

12. The helmet of claim 9 , wherein the helmet back plate comprises high density polyethylene (HDPE).

13. The helmet of claim 10 , wherein the ramped sides of the first riser and the ramped sides of the second riser are angled at approximately 45 degrees.

14. The helmet of claim 9 , wherein:

the cheek pad comprises foam encased in nylon; and

the pad back plate comprises high density polyethylene (HDPE).