Protective headwear and bodywear

Abstract

In one aspect the invention is directed to a protective member (eg. a headwear or bodywear member) including a plurality of substantially rigid protective panels connected to each other by flexible panel connectors to form a selected shape for wearing by a wearer. In one embodiment, the protective member is in the form of a cap-shaped member and may be an insert that fits in a cap. In another embodiment, the protective member is in the form of a protective vest.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 384,439 filed Sep. 20, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to protective headwear and bodywear.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Protective headwear and bodywear protect the heads and bodies of many people including, for example, police officers and soldiers. Typically, the headwear is in the form of a helmet that includes a hard shell member and one or more inner members, such as pads or the like, that assist in fitting the shell to the head of the wearer. Such helmets are helpful in that they offer good protection of the wearer's head, however they suffer many drawbacks. One drawback is that they are typically relatively bulky and so they can be relatively uncomfortable to wear. Another drawback is that they are relatively unfashionable, due in part to ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]In another aspect, the invention is directed to a protective member for wearing by a wearer, including a plurality of substantially rigid protective panels connected to each other by flexible connectors to form a selected shape. The panels are separated from each other by a gap having a shape that is sufficiently non-linear to prevent the presence of a linear path between an exterior face of the protective member and an interior face of the protective member.

[0008]In another aspect, the invention is directed to a protective member for wearing

Problems solved by technology

One drawback is that they are typically relatively bulky and so they can be relatively uncomfortable to wear.

Another drawback is that they are relatively unfashionable, due in part to their bulkiness.

These drawbacks alone inhibit the use of protective headwear in many situations in which it would be advantageous to be worn, such as, for example, during a round of golf so that the wearer's head could be protected from a stray ball.

Another drawback is that helmets are often not particularly stable on the wearer's head unless they are stabilized via neck and / or chin straps, which add to their level of discomfort during wearing.

Such bodywear can have relatively low-breathability particularly in the regions with the protective panels, which adds to their discomfort during wearing, particularly during warmer weather.

Furthermore, such bodywear may not necessarily conform well to wearers of different shapes and sizes, as the protective panels are relatively fixed in shape.

Furthermore, the regions between the protective panels render the wearer vulnerable to attack.

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