IP Library Granted Patent US 12,458,094
Granted Patent B2
US 12,458,094 · App. 16/749,402 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Truncated helmet

Inventor: Alexander J. Szela (Santa Cruz, CA)
Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
A42B3/0493A42B3/227A42B3/283A42B1/08A42B3/06A42B3/066A42B3/125
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,458,094
App. No.
16/749,402
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A helmet with an outer shell, an inner liner, a plurality of vents, and an occipital cliff is disclosed. The outer shell includes an outer surface made up of a first and second surface, the first and second surfaces joined by a drop-off running across the outer surface from a left side of the helmet to a right side of the helmet. A majority of the drop-off is closer to a coronal plane bisecting the helmet than it is to the rear of the helmet. The drop-off is contained within a posterior section of the helmet defined by the coronal plane. The first surface defines a top of the drop-off and the second surface defines a bottom of the drop-off, such that the drop-off has a height. The occipital cliff is located at the rear end of the helmet and is approximately perpendicular to the second surface proximate the drop-off.

Claims (19)

1 . A helmet, comprising:

an outer shell comprising an outer surface, an inner surface, and a drop-off extending across the outer surface from a bottom edge of the helmet to an opposite bottom edge of the helmet;

an occipital cliff forming a truncated rear end of the helmet, wherein the drop-off is positioned between a front end of the helmet opposite the truncated rear end of the helmet and the truncated rear end of the helmet; and

a plurality of vents comprising one or more intake vents in the front end of the helmet and one or more output vents in the truncated rear end of the helmet, the plurality of vents providing fluid communication between outside the helmet and inside the helmet.

2 . The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the drop-off divides the outer surface into at least a first surface and a second surface.

3 . The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the first surface defines a top of the drop-off and the second surface defines a bottom of the drop-off.

4 . The helmet of claim 2 , further comprising: one or more chines extending forward from the drop-off along the first surface.

5 . The helmet of claim 4 , wherein at least one chine terminates before a front edge of the first surface.

6 . The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the occipital cliff is approximately perpendicular to the second surface.

7 . The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the one or more output vents comprises at least one inline vent having a pair of surfaces approximately parallel with the second surface of the outer shell proximate the at least one inline vent, and at least one vent located on the occipital cliff.

8 . The helmet of claim 2 , wherein the second surface comprises at least one exterior output channel for the at least one inline vent that starts at the least one inline vent and extends away from the drop-off, and wherein each exterior output channel is formed in the outer surface of the helmet.

9 . The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the one or more output vents outnumber the one or more intake vents.

10 . The helmet of claim 1 , wherein a combined incident surface area of the one or more output vents is greater than a combined incident surface area of the one or more intake vents.

11 . The helmet of claim 1 , wherein the drop-off runs continuously from the bottom edge of the helmet to the opposite bottom edge of the helmet.

12 . The helmet of claim 1 , further comprising:

an inner liner having an outer surface coupled to the inner surface of the outer shell and an inner surface comprising a plurality of interior channels connecting each intake vent with a corresponding output vent.

13 . The helmet of claim 2 , further comprising:

a visor magnetically coupled to a front of the helmet, opposite the rear end of the helmet, through at least one magnet coupled to the first surface.

14 . The helmet of claim 13 , wherein the visor terminates with two lateral edges that align, respectively, with left and right sides of the first surface at the drop-off.

Assignments (8)
ENTITY CONVERSION Recorded Sep 17, 2025
From: BELL SPORTS, INC.
To: BELL SPORTS LLC
Reel/Frame 072908/0382 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 25, 2025
From: BELL SPORTS, INC.; BUSHNELL HOLDINGS, INC.; BUSHNELL INC.; C PREME LIMITED LLC; CAMELBAK PRODUCTS, LLC; EAGLE INDUSTRIES UNLIMITED, INC.; FOX HEAD, INC.; GOLD TIP, LLC; LOGAN OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, LLC; MICHAELS OF OREGON CO.; QUIETKAT, INC.; SIMMS FISHING PRODUCTS LLC; STONE GLACIER, INC.; WAWGD NEWCO, LLC; REVELYST OPERATIONS LLC; MILLETT INDUSTRIES
To: CAPITAL ONE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 072238/0250 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2025
From: BELL SPORTS, INC.; BUSHNELL HOLDINGS, INC.; BUSHNELL INC.; C PREME LIMITED LLC; CAMELBAK PRODUCTS, LLC; EAGLE INDUSTRIES UNLIMITED, INC.; FOX HEAD, INC.; GOLD TIP, LLC; LOGAN OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, LLC; MICHAELS OF OREGON CO.; QUIETKAT, INC.; SIMMS FISHING PRODUCTS LLC; STONE GLACIER, INC.; WAWGD NEWCO, LLC; MILLETT INDUSTRIES; REVELYST OPERATIONS LLC
To: FORTRESS CREDIT CORP., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069817/0586 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 27, 2024
From: CAPITAL ONE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: AMMUNITION OPERATIONS LLC; BEE STINGER, LLC; BELL SPORTS, INC.; BUSHNELL INC.; BUSHNELL HOLDINGS, INC.; C PREME LIMITED LLC; CAMELBAK PRODUCTS, LLC; EAGLE INDUSTRIES UNLIMITED, INC.; FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY; GOLD TIP, LLC; LOGAN OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, LLC; MICHAELS OF OREGON CO.; MILLETT INDUSTRIES, INC.; STONEY POINT PRODUCTS, INC.; VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 069460/0001 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF TERM LOAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 1, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: AMMUNITION OPERATIONS LLC; BELL SPORTS, INC.; BUSHNELL HOLDINGS, INC.; BUSHNELL INC.; C PREME LIMITED LLC; CAMELBAK PRODUCTS, LLC; EAGLE INDUSTRIES UNLIMITED, INC.; FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY; GOLD TIP, LLC; LOGAN OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, LLC; MICHAELS OF OREGON CO.; MILLETT INDUSTRIES, INC.; STONE GLACIER, INC.; VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC; WAWGD NEWCO, LLC; FOX HEAD, INC.; SIMMS FISHING PRODUCTS LLC
Reel/Frame 066959/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2022
From: AMMUNITION OPERATIONS LLC; BEE STINGER, LLC; BELL SPORTS, INC.; BUSHNELL HOLDINGS, INC.; BUSHNELL INC.; C PREME LIMITED LLC; CAMELBAK PRODUCTS, LLC; EAGLE INDUSTRIES UNLIMITED, INC.; FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY; FOX HEAD, INC.; GOLD TIP, LLC; LOGAN OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, LLC; MICHAELS OF OREGON CO.; MILLETT INDUSTRIES; NIGHT OPTICS USA, INC.; NORTHSTAR OUTDOORS, LLC; QUIETKAT, INC.; STONE GLACIER, INC.; STONEY POINT PRODUCTS, INC.; VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC; VISTA OUTDOOR SALES LLC; WAWGD NEWCO, LLC; VISTA OUTDOOR INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061521/0747 →
ABL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 1, 2021
From: AMMUNITION OPERATIONS LLC; BEE STINGER, LLC; BELL SPORTS, INC.; BUSHNELL HOLDINGS, INC.; BUSHNELL INC.; C PREME LIMITED LLC; CAMELBAK PRODUCTS, LLC; EAGLE INDUSTRIES UNLIMITED, INC.; FEDERAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY; GOLD TIP, LLC; LOGAN OUTDOOR PRODUCTS, LLC; MICHAELS OF OREGON CO.; MILLETT INDUSTRIES; NIGHT OPTICS USA, INC.; NORTHSTAR OUTDOORS, LLC; STONEY POINT PRODUCTS INC.; VISTA OUTDOOR INC.; VISTA OUTDOOR OPERATIONS LLC
To: CAPITAL ONE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 056033/0349 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2020
From: SZELA, ALEXANDER J.
To: BELL SPORTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 054367/0531 →