US3478365A - Protective helmet for babies - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 18, 1969 Tz-"J. VARGA 3,478,365

PROTECTIVE HELMET FOR BABIES Filed Aug. 21, 1967 I Tibor Joseph Varga INVENTOR.

wmwa tm i United States Patent A 3,478,365 PROTECTIVE HELMET FOR BABIES Tibor Joseph Varga, 1291 W. 103rd St.,

Cleveland, Ohio 44102 Filed Aug. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 661,865 Int. Cl. A42b 1/08; A63b 71/10 US. Cl. 2-3 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE BISCLOSURE This invention relates to accident curtailing and injury preventing and safe-type devices such as are appropriate for use when training babies and small children towalk in a room or the like where hazardous mishaps are likely to be encountered and has to do with a helmet which is unique in that it is equipped with self-contained facilities which enable the wearer to involved.

Protective helmets of many and varying types have met with widespread adoption and endorsed use by athletes, by race car drivers, riders of motorcycles, workers in various fields of endeavor and in instances too many to mention here. The objective herein is to cope with and solve the shock of concussion problem in the home where untold numbers of accidents occur, more particularly, that aspect thereof which has to with babies and youngsters who have to discover how to get around when crawling, learning to walk, or while playing in crowded quarters.

Briefly, the preferred embodiment of the invention is that herein shown and which comprises a one-piece hollow concavo-convex lightweight protective-type shell. This shell is characterized by a main body portion, more specifically an overhead crown portion. It includes a forward depending visor-like forehead covering portion, a rearward portion cooperable with the back of the head and nape of the neck. It also includes left and right side portions which coact with the ears, temples and cheek pore tions. Then, too, the over-all shell is expressly designed and shaped so that comfortably and conformably fits over the head of the wearer and is interiorly provided with shock and impact absorbing and cushioning means.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter describedand claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a protective helmet constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating how it is constructed and worn.

FIG. 2 is a view on a suitably enlarged scale taken on the plane of the section line 22 of FIG. 1. V

The novel helmet is denoted, generally speaking, by the numeral 4 and is of concavo-convex one-piece form and has been referred to as substantially domical in shape. It embodies a main body or crown portion -6 and a forward portion 8 resembling a shallow visor and having a terminal front edge 10 overlying the forehead of the wearer as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The deep rearcope with the risks which are movement for the results- Patented Nov. 18, 1969 'ice ward portion 12 encloses and covers the rear partof'the head of the wearer and the outwardly flaring bottommost portion 14 provides a shield for the nape of the neck. The duplicate right and left side portions 16 are shaped and contoured to coact with and cover the temples, ears, cheeks also in the manner illustrated. The coacting component portions are provided wherever necessary or desired with holes 18 for air circulating and ventilating purposes. It will be noted that the over-all helmet is not in direct contact with the enclosed portions of the head but is spaced by spacing and cushioning members which are here referred to as compressibly resilient pads or ribs which acn be made of plastic foam rubber, sponge rubber or whatever the manufacturer specifies. One such'rib, which may be called the head surrounding'or encircling rib is denoted by the numeral 20 and is appropriately fastened in place as suggested in FIG. 2. There is a longitudinal over-the-head suitably curved rib or pad as'at 22 and additional transverse companion pads at 24. These pads are distributively arranged and provide the desired helmet and cushioning properties.

The aforementioned attachment unit is substantially U-shaped and is denoted by the numeral 26 and it serves as a dual chin and mouth guard. It is made from a single piece of moldable plastic material and has a bight portion which is denoted generally at 28 and which has a. lower half portion 30 which constitutes a chin cradling guard, and an upper suitably arced half portion 32 which provides a mouth guard. The upper part is provided with ventilating holes as at 34 to facilitate free breathing. The lower half portion is interiorly provided with appropriate and suitably contoured lining means 36 which can be sponge rubber or equivalent cushioning material. The gradually narrowing or tapering arms are denoted as at 38 and have gradually narrowing rearward terminal end portions 40 which straddle the respective side portions of the helmet. These terminal end portions are provided with snap fasteners 42 which rae cooperatively engageable with a row of selectively usable snap fasteners 44 carrier by the side portions of the helmet as shown in full lines in FIG. 1 and in phantom lines in FIG. 2.

It is obvious that the principal purpose of the helmet is to prevent injuries to the wearers head which ordinarily occur when crawling, falling from a walking position or in various other ways. The means 26 is referred to as a guard because of the fact that it not only functions as a chin guard but also as a mouth guard and keeps the youngster from placing small objects such as coins, pins, buttons or the like in his mouth. In addition, it tends to minimize finger sucking and placing dirty fingers in the mouth. It will be evident therefore that this helmet is an innovation in that it well serves the safety purposes for which it has been devised.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An accident and injury diminishing and preventing head covering for use primarily by crawling infants and I unwary youngsters while learning to walk and while play ing indoors in a room or similar limited enclosure with hazardous end tables, chairs, and dangerous miscellaneous obstacles therein and also while riding inan automobile; a crash-resisting safety-type helmet comprising a onepiece hollow lightweight convaco-convex shell shaped and contoured to fit conformably over the head of the wearer, said shell being made of blow lessening, impact resisting and selfshape retaining plastic material, said shell being possessed of the safeguarding properties of hard-ha helmets, and embodying an overhead crown portion, a forward visor-like forehead covering portion, a rearward back-of-the-head and neck covering portion, left and right ear, temple and cheek enclosing and covering portions, and shock and impact absorbing and cushioning means comprising an endless head encircling rib attached to ,interior,surfaces of said shell, a complemental longitudinally extending over-the-head cushioning rib centralized and attached to interior surfaces of said shell and having forward and rearward ends abutting coacting surfaces of said head encircling rib and transverse over the head cushioning ribs interposed between the medium portion of and abutting coacting surfaces of the head encircling rib and said longitudinal over-the-head cushioning rib.

2. The safety-type helmet defined in and according to claim 1 and, in combination, a substantially U-shaped attachment made of firm substantially self-shape sustaining material and embodying a medium bight portion and a pair of attaching and retaining arms, said retaining arms having gradually narrowing rearward ends straddling the wearers jaws and cheeks and being detachably, adjustably and hingedly connected to said cheek portions, said attachment providing a chin cradling guard and a mouth guard, the interior surfaces of the bight portion and arms being providedrwith compressibly resilient shock resisting lining material, said bight portion being relatively wide and dished both longitudinally and transversely to conformingly cover the wearers chin and block his mouth, and in addition, being provided with a multiplicity of air holes. 7

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,140,716 12/1938 Pryale 2-3 2,276,612 3/1942 Ellis 29 XR 2,7173 84 9/ 1955 Frothingham 2--3 2,867,811 1/1959 Jones 2-9 XR 3,274,612 9/1966 Merriam 23 FOREIGN PATENTS 56,976 11/ 1939 Denmark. 350,142 6/1931 Great Britain.

JAMES R. BOLER, Primary Examiner

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