Removable liner systems for protective headgear, protective headgear equipped therewith, and methods

Abstract

Removable liner systems adapted for use in combination with protective headgear equipped with a protective mask (e.g., facemask), as well as protective headgear incorporating such removable liner systems, removable liner system kits, and methods related thereto. Such a removable liner system preferably includes an upper section comprising a forehead piece adapted to cover a forehead of a wearers head, a lower section comprising a chin piece adapted to cover a chin of the wearers head, an opening defined by and between the upper and lower sections through which the wearer can see, and fasteners disposed on an exterior surface of the removable liner system for releasably attaching the removable liner system to an interior surface of the protective headgear. The upper and lower sections are formed of layers of flexible materials that conform to concave contours of the interior surface of the protective headgear.

Description

REMOVABLE LINER SYSTEMS FOR PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR, PROTECTIVE HEADGEAR EQUIPPED THEREWITH, AND METHODSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 779,710 filed March 28, 2025, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates generally to protective headgear that are equipped with a protective mask, and more particularly to removable liner systems for protective headgear, including but not limited to fencing masks, as well as protective headgear incorporating such removable liner systems, removable liner system kits, and methods related thereto.

[0003] Protective headgear equipped with protective masks are used in many activities and across many industries to protect a person from potential craniofacial injuries. Some nonlimiting examples of such headgear include protective helmets and masks in sports such as fencing, football, baseball, lacrosse, and hockey, welding masks, respirators, and face shields in the construction, ironworking, and steelmaking industries, face shields and respirator in the healthcare industry, weather masks, gas masks, and pilot helmets in the military. Often, the headgear is worn in an environment and / or used in manner that exposes the headgear to high levels of moisture, heat, and / or bacteria that can negatively affect the wearer's skin if there is no convenient way to clean the components that touch the wearer's face, neck, and / or other areas of skin about the wearer's head.

[0004] In some industries, it is known to include removable liner systems or other components in the headgear to improve the sanitation for the wearer. For example, liners that either facilitate cleaning of the surfaces that touch the wearer's skin and / or are disposable components that can bethrown away after use are sometimes provided for such headgear. However, using disposable components can increase the lifetime costs, which may reduce how often the wearer changes the disposable components.

[0005] A specific example of such headgear with a protective face mask is a fencing mask, which typically includes a frame with wire mesh that covers the fencer's face, padding on the interior for providing a softer contact surface for the fencer's face and head, a bib draped downwardly from below the wire mesh, and straps for securing the frame to the fencer's head. The wire mesh is provided to protect the fencer's face and head from blows of a fencing blade (for example, a weapon such as a foil or saber). The bib protects the fencer's throat area from blade blows. For certain blade events (saber and foil), the bib also may be electrically conductive to automatically detect touches by the opponent's fencing blade. The bib may be permanently or removably attached to the frame and / or mesh portion. In either case, the bib may become dirty due to engagement with the fencer and / or other environmental factors.

[0006] Most modem fencing equipment focuses on increasing electric capabilities for ease of score tabulation as well as increasing safety standards for materials used. Due to the necessity for conductivity in the fabric used for the bibs on fencing masks, it can be difficult to prioritize hygiene without compromising the integrity of the metal threads. Excessive scrubbing or harsh detergents can ruin equipment or lead to delays at tournaments if a mask does not pass inspection at the armory or increased expense if a fencer must purchase new equipment. Furthermore, fencers can struggle with acne mechanica where sports equipment is a direct factor in the aggravation of skin issues either due to friction or the influence of heat, sweat, and / or bacteria in equipment that is in frequent contact with the wearer's skin. Though most fencing equipment can be washed (e.g., chest protector, white underclothing, socks, etc.), the fencing lame and the fencing mask are more difficult to maintain hygienically except in more expensive options that have intrinsically washable lames and integrated removable liner systems. Many fencers, however, use less expensive equipment that either does not have a removable liner system or has significant limitations in the liners that are included, such as limited coverage, abrasive materials, and / or difficulty of removaland placement.

[0007] Therefore, it would be desirable to have a device that can more easily and inexpensively increase the hygiene of headgear having a protective mask, such as a fencing mask or other such protective headgear.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The intent of this section of the specification is to briefly indicate the nature and substance of the invention, as opposed to an exhaustive statement of all subject matter and aspects of the invention. Therefore, while this section identifies subject matter recited in the claims, additional subject matter and aspects relating to the invention are set forth in other sections of the specification, particularly the detailed description, as well as any drawings.

[0009] The present invention provides, but is not limited to, removable liner systems adapted for use in combination with protective headgear equipped with a protective mask (e.g., facemask), as well as protective headgear incorporating such removable liner systems, removable liner system kits, and methods related thereto.

[0010] According to a nonlimiting aspect, a removable liner system for a protective headgear having a protective mask includes an upper section comprising a forehead piece adapted to cover a forehead of a wearer’s head, a lower section comprising a chin piece adapted to cover a chin of the wearer’ s head, an opening defined by and between the upper and lower sections through which the wearer can see, and fasteners disposed on an exterior surface of the removable liner system for releasably attaching the removable liner system to an interior surface of the protective headgear. The upper and lower sections are formed of layers of flexible materials that conform to concave contours of the interior surface of the protective headgear.

[0011] According to another nonlimiting aspect, a combination of protective headgear and a removable liner system are provided. The protective headgear includes a protective mask for protecting a wearer's face, and the removable liner system conforms to concave contours of aninterior surface of the protective headgear. A set of first fasteners is disposed on the interior surface of the protective mask. A set of second fasteners is disposed on an exterior surface of the removable liner system that releasably attach the removable liner system to the interior surface of the protective mask.

[0012] According to yet another nonlimiting aspect, a removable liner system is provided that is capable of use in combination with a protective headgear, such as described above. The removable liner system includes a crown piece adapted (sized and configured) to cover a wearer's head, a forehead piece adapted (sized and configured) to cover the wearer's forehead, side pieces that along with the forehead piece encompass the wearer's face and form an opening through which the wearer can see, and a chin piece that cups the wearer's chin.

[0013] According to still another nonlimiting aspect, a method is provided for using a removable liner system and protective headgear as described above. The method includes conforming the removable liner system to the concave contours of the interior surface of the protective headgear and releasably coupling the second fasteners to corresponding ones of the first fasteners.

[0014] Technical aspects of removable liner systems as described above preferably include the ability to promote and maintain the hygiene of protective headgear by providing a washable removable liner system adapted to cover some and optionally all of the surfaces of the headgear that would otherwise contact the wearer.

[0015] These and other aspects, arrangements, features, and / or technical effects will become apparent upon detailed inspection of the figures and the following description.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front perspective view of a fencing mask as a nonlimiting example of a protective headgear equipped with a protective mask (facemask).

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic rear perspective view showing an interior surface of the fencingmask of FIG. 1 and a removable liner system adapted to be installed in and conform to concave contours of the interior surface of the fencing mask.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a rear (interior) view of the removable liner system of FIG. 2 installed in the fencing mask of FIG. 2.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a partial rear (interior) view of the removable liner system and fencing mask of FIG. 3.

[0020] FIG. 5 is a right side view of a removable liner system according to another embodiment of the invention, the left side view thereof being a substantially identical mirror view.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the removable liner system of FIG. 5 showing interior surfaces thereof.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a right side view of the removable liner system of FIG. 5, showing the addition of flaps overlying hook-and-loop fasteners of the liner system.

[0023] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a crown piece of the removable liner system of FIG. 5.

[0024] FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a forehead piece of the removable liner system of FIG. 5.

[0025] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a chin piece of the removable liner system of FIG. 5.

[0026] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a side piece of the removable liner system of FIG. 5.

[0027] FIG. 12 is a plan view of a strap piece 114 adapted for use with the removable liner system of FIG. 5.

[0028] FIG. 13 is a rear (interior) view showing an interior surface of a baseball or softball catcher’s mask as another nonlimiting example of a protective headgear equipped with a protective mask (facemask).

[0029] FIGS. 14 and 15 are rear (interior) views showing different embodiments of a removable liner system installed in and conforming to concave contours of the interior surface of the catcher’s mask of FIG. 13.

[0030] FIG. 16 is a rear (interior) view showing an embodiment of a removable liner system installed in and conforming to concave contours of an interior surface of a softball fielder’s mask.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The intended purpose of the following detailed description of the invention and the phraseology and terminology employed therein is to describe one or more nonlimiting embodiments of the invention, and to describe certain but not all aspects of what is depicted in the drawings, including the embodiment(s) to which the drawings relate. The following detailed description also identifies certain but not all alternatives of the embodiment(s). As nonlimiting examples, the invention encompasses additional or alternative embodiments in which one or more features or aspects shown and / or described as part of a particular embodiment could be eliminated and also encompasses additional or alternative embodiments that combine two or more features or aspects shown and / or described as part of different embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims, and not the detailed description, are intended to recite what are believed to be aspects of the invention, including certain but not necessarily all of the aspects and alternatives described in the detailed description.

[0032] FIGS. 1 through 16 schematically represent nonlimiting embodiments of removable liner systems that are capable of use with or are at least adaptable for installation in a variety of protective headgear equipped with a protective mask, including but not limited to fencing masks such as depicted in FIGS. 1 through 4, catcher’s masks as depicted in FIGS. 14 and 15, and softball fielder’s masks as depicted in FIG. 16. While the specific examples discussed herein are for protective headgear having the particular configurations depicted in the drawings, it is understood that removable liner systems disclosed herein also apply to other types of protective headgear with protective masks, such as welding masks, respirators, and face shields used in the construction, ironworking, and steelmaking industries, protective helmets used in additional sports such as football, lacrosse, and hockey, face shields and respirators used in the healthcare industry, and weather masks, gas masks, and pilot helmets used by the military.

[0033] To facilitate the description provided below of the embodiment(s) represented in the drawings, relative terms, including but not limited to, "proximal," "distal," "anterior," "posterior," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," "front," "rear," "side," "forward," "rearward," "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "above," "below," "right," "left," etc., may be used in reference to the orientation of the removable liner systems during their use and / or as represented in the drawings. All such relative terms are useful to describe the illustrated embodiment(s) but should not be otherwise interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0034] As used herein the terms "a" and "an" to introduce a feature are used as open-ended, inclusive terms to refer to at least one, or one or more of the features, and are not limited to only one such feature unless otherwise expressly indicated. Similarly, use of the term "the" in reference to a feature previously introduced using the term "a" or "an" does not thereafter limit the feature to only a single instance of such feature unless otherwise expressly indicated.

[0035] Turning now to the nonlimiting embodiments represented in the drawings, FIG. 1 represents a fencing mask 12 equipped with a protective mask that includes a facemask (also known as a mesh or face guard) 30 adapted to cover the wearer's (fencer’s) face, a crown (top panel) 31 adapted to cover the crown of the wearer’s head, and a bib (throat protector) 32 that extends downwardly from a lower edge of the facemask 30. The mask 12 is also represented as including a tongue (back flap) 33 that is conventionally present to assist with retaining a fencing mask on a wearer. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the facemask 30 is a wire mesh screen, though other suitable protective structures may be used that also allow a wearer to see through it when fencing. The bib 32 may be an electrically-conductive bib for automatic scoring, or may be non-conductive. The bib 32 may be permanently attached to the facemask 30 and / or other portions of the mask 12. FIG. 2 schematically represents the mask 12 is conventionally equipped with soft protective pads 34 disposed at various locations on the interior surface of the mask 12 to protect the wearer's skin from chafing directly on the hard surfaces of the mask 12.

[0036] FIG. 2 evidences that the interior (inward-facing) surface of the mask 12, including those of its facemask 30, crown 31, bib 32, and tongue 33, define concave contours. FIGS. 2, 3, and 4represent the fencing mask 12 of FIG. 1 in combination with a removable liner system 10 that preferably covers certain interior surfaces of the mask 12, including its crown 31, bib 32, and / or tongue 33, while defining an opening 18 aligned with and preferably coinciding with the facemask 30. The outer perimeter of the opening 18 may coincide with the outer perimeter of the facemask 30 so that the removable liner system 10 does not obstruct or otherwise interfere with the wearer’s view through the facemask 30. Though shown in combination with the fencing mask 12 of FIG.1, the removable liner system 10 may be used with other configurations and / or types of fencing masks. The removable liner system 10 is represented in FIG. 2 as equipped with releasable fasteners 22 on its exterior (outward-facing) surface for removably securing the removable liner system 10 to the mask 12, whose interior surface is represented as having complementary releasable fasteners 20 located so as to align with the fasteners 22 when the removable liner system 10 is installed in the mask 12. The removable liner system 10 is preferably formed of flexible materials that enable the liner system 10 to flex and conform to the concave contours of the interior surface of the mask 12 so that the removable liner system 10 can be readily installed into typical configurations in which fencing masks are available. The releasable fasteners 20 and 22 may be hook-and-loop (e.g. Velcro™) fasteners, though the use of magnets, threads, snaps, hooks, or other releasable attachment fasteners is also foreseeable, for the purpose of enabling the liner system 10 to be easily removed from the mask 12 for washing and then reattached to the mask 12.

[0037] Because the interior surface of the removable liner system 10 touches a wearer's face, the flexible materials of the liner system 10 are selected to enable the entire removable liner system 10 to be washed as needed to promote hygiene by preventing bacteria from flourishing on the interior surface of the liner system 10 that contacts or is close to the wearer’s skin during use. The flexible materials are preferably washable in a typical clothes washing machine. At least certain portions of the removable liner system 10 are constructed of multiple layers of flexible materials, which may include, as nonlimiting examples, cloth fabrics made of natural (e.g., cotton and / or wool), synthetic (e.g., polyester) fibers, canvas, felt, fleece and athletic mesh materials. The layers of flexible materials for such portions preferably include a moisture-wicking layer (wicking layer) that promotes moisture wicking to a moisture-absorbing layer (absorbent layer). Inward-facinginnermost layers that define the interior surface of the liner system 10 (i.e., facing and optionally contacting the skin of the wearer) are preferably formed of a moi sture-wi eking layer constructed of a soft flexible material that provides a comfortable engagement surface against the wearer's skin. A preferred moisture-wicking material for this purpose is an athletic mesh material, for example, a polyester-based material with perforations to promote moisture wicking and airflow therethrough. In addition to an inward-facing (preferably innermost) moisture-wicking layer, other preferred layers for portions of the removable liner system 10 include the aforementioned moisture-absorbing (absorbent) layer. A preferred soft flexible material for this purpose is a polyester-based material commercially available under the name Ponte de Roma, which is a soft, stretchable, and relatively heavyweight fabric reported to be constructed of nylon, rayon, and spandex. The absorbent layer may define the outermost layer for certain portions of the liner system 10. Alternatively or in addition, portions of the removable liner system 10 may include an outermost layer to which the fasteners 22 are attached or are otherwise present.

[0038] To assist with its ability to conform to the concave contours of the interior surface of the mask 12, the removable liner system 10 is represented in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 as being constructed of two members that may be individually and separately installed in the mask 12, or more preferably joined together so that the liner system 10 can be installed in the mask 12 as a single unit. One of the two members is an upper section 14 adapted (configured and sized) to cover the crown and forehead of the wearer’s head, and the other member is a lower section 16 adapted (configured and sized) to cover and optionally engage the cheeks and chin of the wearer. Once joined together, such as by sewing (with appropriate overlapping seams as may be desired), the upper and lower sections 14 and 16 together form a full-coverage liner system 10 for the fencing mask 12 that forms and surrounds the opening 18 where the wearer's eyes are located so that the wearer can see through the removable liner system 10 as well as the mask's facemask 30. The upper and lower sections 14 and 16 are sized so that portions of the securement straps 24 can fit therebetween on the left and right interior sides of the mask 12. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper end of the lower section 16 defines gaps through which securement straps 24 pass. As evident from FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the upper section 14 is shaped to cover and contact the forehead of the wearer’s head when installedin the mask 12 and generally extends from the wearer's eyebrows to also cover and contact the crown of the wearer's head. As such, the upper section 14 is configured to cover the crown 31 of the mask 12, the region of the facemask 30 in front of the wearer’s forehead, and any padding disposed in these regions of the mask 12. The lower section 16 is configured to cover the bib 32 of the mask 12, the region of the facemask 30 adjacent the wearer’s cheeks and chin, and any padding disposed in these regions of the mask 12. The lower edge of the lower section 16 has a partial generally oval-shaped outer perimeter that generally follows the outer perimeter of the lower half of the facemask 30, and is shown as completely covering the bib 32 and any padding in the lower interior portion of the mask 12.

[0039] The removable liner system 10 includes the fasteners 22 that are present on the outermost layers facing the mask 12, as well as the complementary fasteners 20 that are present on the interior surface of the mask 12. In an embodiment in which the fasteners 20 and 22 are or include hook-and-loop fasteners, the fasteners 20 comprise one or more hook strips disposed on the interior surfaces of the mask 12 (including any padding) for fastening to one or more complementary loop strips located on the outermost layers of the removable liner system 10 as the fasteners 22 of the liner system 10. Alternatively or in addition, the outermost layers may be formed of a complementary loop material, in which case the fasteners 20 can attach directly to the outermost layers. The fasteners 20 may be secured to the interior surface of the mask 12 and / or any padding disposed on the interior of the mask 12 with, for example, an adhesive and / or stitching, to create a permanent securement base for the removable liner system 10 to be inserted and releasably secured according to availability and / or preference of the wearer. For adhesive attachment, the fasteners 20 may be provided with an adhesive backing, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, that can adhesively attach the fasteners 20 to any of the various surfaces on the interior surface of the mask 12, such as exposed metal or plastic surfaces and / or exposed padding surfaces. Advantageously, if the fasteners 20 are hook strips of a hook-and-loop fastener system and are attached to the interior surface of the mask 12, the fasteners 22 can be complementary loop strips of the hook-and-loop fastener systems that are permanently attached to the liner system 10 and therefore unlikely to harm other fabrics / layers of the liner system 10 or other laundry when washed in aconventional washing machine.

[0040] Due to the flexibility of the layers forming the removable liner system 10, the liner system 10 is able to concavely conform to the interior surface of the fencing mask 12, following the curvatures of the interior surface of the bib 32, the sides of the facemask 30, and the crown 31of the fencing mask 12 where it makes contact with the top of the forehead and crown of a wearer’s head. In this operative configuration, the removable liner system 10 forms a barrier between the fencing mask 12 and the wearer’s skin and hair that absorbs sweat and smooths out the quilted, three-dimensional padding typically inside a fencing mask, reducing or preventing undesirable friction therebetween.

[0041] Additional attachments that extend along the securement straps 24 that wrap around the wearers head and secures the mask 12 on the wearer's head may be provided. Such additional attachments can, for example, prevent hair damage from the fasteners 20 and 22, especially when the mask 12 is donned and / or doffed.

[0042] The removable liner system 10 may be decorated with various standardized and / or custom colors and / or printing of text and / or images to improve the appearance of the interior of the mask 12. For example, doing so may allow the removable liner system 10 to prevent the emergence of stains and / or provide customized designs to suit a wearer’s personality, denote ownership, club affiliation, or other informational and / or aesthetic purposes.

[0043] In some embodiments, the removable liner system may be provided as a kit, including the removable liner system 10 and the fasteners 20, for retrofitting to a wide variety of fencing masks. The removable liner system 10 can be mounted to the mask 12, for example, by securing the fasteners 20 to the interior surfaces of the mask 12 with adhesive. The locations for the fasteners 20 on the interior surfaces of the mask 12 are then selected to correspond to the locations of the complementary fasteners 22 on the removable liner system 10 when arranged in a preferred operative position inside the mask 12, for example, completely or substantially completely covering the surface of any padding and / or straps on the interior surface of the mask 12. Once the fasteners 20 are attached to the appropriate locations inside the mask 12, the removable linersystem 10 can be mounted to the interior of the mask 12 by coupling the fasteners 22 of the removable liner system 10 to the fasteners 20 of the mask 12, and then molding the liner system 10 to the concave contours of the interior surface of the mask 12. When it is desired to clean and / or wash the removable liner system 10, the liner system 10 can simply be removed by unfastening the fasteners 22 from the fasteners 20 and cleaning / washing the liner system 10 separately in any desired manner. Thereafter, the cleaned / washed removable liner system 10 can be remounted to the interior surface of the mask 12 as described previously. Thus, the present disclosure provides a liner system 10 constructed of one or more fabrics that can be easily applied removed, washed, and replaced as a single unit.

[0044] FIGS. 5 through 16 depict additional configurations of the removable liner system 10 in accordance with further embodiments of this invention. In these figures, consistent reference numbers are used to identify the same or functionally related / equivalent elements. In view of similarities between the embodiments, the following discussion of FIGS. 5 through 16 will focus primarily on aspects of the further embodiments that differ from the embodiment of FIGS. 2 through 4 in some notable or significant manner. Other aspects of the further embodiments not discussed in any detail can be, in terms of structure, function, materials, etc., essentially as was described for the embodiment of FIGS. 2 through 4.

[0045] FIGS. 5 through 12 represent an embodiment of a flexible, removable liner system 10 that is also adapted for use with a fencing mask, such as is represented in FIG. 1. In this example, the removable liner system 10 may again be constructed of multiple pieces that are individually and separately installed in the mask 12, but more preferably the pieces are permanently joined together so that the entire removable liner system 10 can be installed in the mask 12 as a single unit. The removable liner system 10 may again be described as comprising an upper section 14 configured to engage the crown and forehead of the wearer’s head, and a lower section 16 configured to engage the cheeks and chin of the wearer, such that the upper and lower sections 14 and 16 together form a full-coverage liner system 10 for the fencing mask 12 that forms and surrounds an opening 18 where the wearer's eyes are located so that the wearer can see throughthe removable liner system 10 as well as the facemask 30.

[0046] In the embodiment of FIGS. 5 through 12, the upper and lower sections 14 and 16 are each constructed of a set of individual liner pieces each constructed of one or more layers of one or more flexible materials, such as was described for the embodiment of FIGS. 2 through 4. The liner pieces can be fabricated as flat sheets that are sewn together (with appropriate overlapping seams as may be desired) to form a uniquely-shaped one-piece liner system 10 that can be retrofitted into the fencing mask 12. As seen in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the liner pieces include a crown piece 102 and a forehead piece 104 that together define the upper section 14 of the liner system 10, and further include left and right side pieces 106 (which are mirror images of each other) and a chin piece 108 that together define the lower section 16 of the liner system 10. When sewn or otherwise secured together along their edges, the set of liner pieces form a contoured cover for the wearer's face that surrounds the periphery of the face, in which the upper section 14 covers the wearer’s forehead and crown above the wearer’s eyes, the lower section 16 covers the wearer’s chin, cheeks, and neck below the wearer’s eyes, and define therebetween the opening 18 that enables the wearer to see through the facemask 30. The fully assembled removable liner system 10 is contoured to fit flush against the concave contours of the interior surface of the fencing face mask 12 with the exterior (outermost) surface of the removable liner system 10 having a generally convex contour and the interior (innermost) surface of the liner system 10 having a generally concave contour.

[0047] As represented in FIG. 8, the crown piece 102 is adapted (configured and sized) to cover the crown of the wearer’s head. The crown piece 102 may be constructed of three layers that include an innermost layer 102a, a second layer 102b, and a pocket layer 102c that is attached to and overlies all or a portion of the second layer 102b. The innermost and second layers 102a and 102b are represented as having a generally rectangular-shaped perimeter that is sized to span the crown of the wearer's head and extend down to or toward the temples to locations directly above the ears. The innermost layer 102a is intended to contact the wearer and therefore is preferably constructed of a soft flexible moisture-wicking material, such as the flexible athletic mesh materialthat was described for the innermost layer (i.e., facing the skin of the wearer) that defines the interior surface of the liner system 10 of FIGS. 2 through 4. The second layer 102b is preferably constructed of an absorbent material, such as the Ponte de Roma material that was described for the outermost layer (i.e., facing away from the skin of the wearer) that defines the exterior surface of the liner system 10 of FIGS. 2 through 4. The pocket layer 102c defines an internal pocket that can be closed by a reclosable closure 102d, such as a zipper, snaps, hook-and-loop fastener, or other sealing element capable of containing a cold pack (e.g., an icepack) within the pocket. As such, the pocket layer 102c is preferably constructed of any suitable flexible material capable of containing an icepack or other comparable cooling element. Though a pocket layer 102c for a cold pack is represented as present only on the crown piece 102, it is foreseeable that pocket layers could be provided on other pieces of the liner system of FIGS. 5 through 7.

[0048] The constructions of the forehead piece 104 (FIG. 9) and chin piece 108 (FIG. 10), which are adapted (configured and sized) to cover the forehead and chine of the wearer’s head, respectively, may be similar to each other. The forehead piece 104 and the chin piece 108 have an innermost layer 104a and 108a, respectively, that is preferably constructed of a soft flexible moi sture-wi eking material, such as the flexible athletic mesh material described for the innermost layer 102a of the crown piece 102. The forehead piece 104 and the chin piece 108 further have an absorbent layer 104b and 108b, respectively, such as the Ponte de Roma material described for the second layer 102b of the crown piece 102. Finally, the forehead piece 104 and the chin piece 108 have an outermost layer 104c and 108c, respectively, which may be constructed of any suitable flexible material to which the fasteners 22 may be securely attached. More preferably, the outermost layers 104c and 108c of the forehead piece 104 and chin piece 108, respectively, are made of a flexible loop material that will fasten with hook strips used as the fasteners 20 of the mask 12.

[0049] The forehead piece 104 (FIG. 9) is shown in FIGS. 5 through 7 as attached to and projecting forward and down from the front edge of the crown piece 102 to cover the wearer's forehead above the eyes. For this purpose, the forehead piece 104 is crescent-shaped having twocurved opposite edges, one concave and one convex, with different length radii pointing in generally the same direction. The shorter-radius convex edge is attached along the top front edge of the crown piece 102, and the larger radius concave edge extends across the wearer's forehead just above the eyes.

[0050] The chin piece 108 (FIG. 10) is shown in FIGS. 5 through 7 as attached to and disposed along a top edge of a bib portion of the liner system 10 that is formed by securing the left and right pair of side pieces 106 (FIG. 11) together, such that the resulting bib portion is adapted (configured and sized) to cover the bib 32 of the mask 12 as well as the cheeks of the wearer. The chin piece 108 projects forward from the bib portion to form a chin cup that receives the wearer's chin. The chin piece 108 is represented as an eye-shaped piece having two opposite convex curved edges with radii that point toward the opposite respective edge. One of the curved edges is secured to a top edge 106e of each side piece 106, forming a medial cutout of the bib portion formed by the side pieces 106. The other curved edge projects outwardly forward to form the chin cup.

[0051] The removable liner system 10 comprises left and right side pieces 106 as shown in FIGS.5 through 7, of which a single side piece 106 is shown in FIG. 11. The side pieces 106 are shown in FIGS. 5 through 7 as attached to the upper section 14 at the bottom edges of respective left and right sides of the crown piece 102, extend downward below the wearer's respective left and right ears, and are joined together along complementary medial edges 106d. In FIG. 11, the exemplary side piece 106 is represented as having an innermost layer 106a that is preferably constructed of a moi sture-wi eking material, such as the flexible athletic mesh material described for the innermost layer 102a of the crown piece 102, and as further having an outermost layer 106b that is preferably constructed of a soft flexible absorbent material, such as the Ponte de Roma material described for the second layer 102b of the crown piece 102. The outermost layer 106b is represented as having an arcuate cutout 106c so that its soft flexible material does not obstruct the wearer’s ability to hear. The removable liner system 10 is represented in FIGS. 5 through 7 as including slots 112 through which the securement straps 24 of the mask 12 can pass. In FIG. 11, one of the slots 112 is represented as being defined in the innermost layer 106a of the side piece 106. As noted above,when the right and left side pieces 106 are attached together as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, their top edges 106e define the medial cutout of the bib portion to which the chin piece 108 is attached. The medial edges 106d of the left and right side pieces 106 are secured (e.g. sewn) together so that the resulting bib portion of the removable liner system 10 covers the interior surface of the bib 32 below the wearer’s chin and in front of the wearer's neck. Though each side piece 106 may be constructed of both layers 106a and 106b, in some embodiments only the moisture-wicking innermost layer 106a may be needed or desired.

[0052] FIG. 12 represents an optional strap piece 114 with loops 114a adapted to secure the strap piece 114 to the securement straps 24 of the mask 12. The strap piece 114 is intended to be placed between the securement straps 24 and the wearer’s head to prevent entanglement of the wearer’s hair in the securement straps 24, especially when the mask 12 is donned and / or doffed.

[0053] To releasably mount and secure the removable liner system 10 of FIGS. 5 through 12 into the mask 12 of FIG. 1, the fasteners 20 and 22 disposed at complementary locations on the exterior surface of the removable liner system 10 and the interior surface of the mask 12 enable the liner system 10 and mask 12 to be releasably fastened together, such that the liner system 10 is mounted and retained on the interior surface of the mask 12. In this example, substantially the entire outermost layers 104c and 108c (the convex side facing the interior convex surfaces of the mask 12) of the forehead piece 104 and chin piece 108 are preferably made of a flexible loop material that will fasten with hook strips used as the fasteners 20 of the mask 12. This allows greater adjustability of the removable liner system 10 within the mask 12 and also eliminates the need for a separate piece of flexible loop material to be attached to the forehead and chin pieces 104 and 108. For the remaining fasteners 22, strips of flexible loop material may be secured to the exterior surface of the removable liner system 10 in locations that will be aligned with a corresponding hook strip secured as the fasteners 20 to the interior surface of the mask 12.

[0054] In view of the above, the removable liner system 10 can be easily mounted into the mask 12 by simply coupling the fasteners 22 to corresponding fasteners 20 on the mask 12. When it is desired to clean the removable liner system 10, a wearer can simply remove the liner system 10from the mask 12 by uncoupling the fasteners 20 and 22. The removable liner system 10 can then be washed by any convenient method, such as in a washing machine or by hand. Thereafter, the cleaned removable liner system 10 can then be remounted into the mask 12 by simply re-securing the fasteners 20 and 22. In FIGS. 5 through 7, in which the fasteners 20 and 22 are represented as hook-and-loop fasteners, FIG. 7 shows the addition of flaps 116 (represented with broken lines) overlying the fasteners 22 to enable the liner system 10 to be washed with reduced risk of the hook-and-loop fasteners entangling the liner system 10 with itself or other garments being washed at the same time. In other embodiments, different types of fasteners 20 and 22, such as snaps, buttons, ties, hooks, etc. could be used to mount releasably mount the removable liner system 10 into the mask 12.

[0055] FIGS. 14 through 16 represent three additional embodiments of the removable liner system 10 that are adapted for use with different types of protective headgear, in these examples, a baseball / softball catcher’s mask (FIGS. 13 through 15) and a softball fielder’s mask (FIG. 16). FIG. 13 represents a catcher’s mask 12 equipped with a protective mask that includes a facemask 30 adapted to cover the wearer's face, two soft protective pads located in the forehead and chin regions of the wearer (analogous to the pads 34 shown in FIG. 2), and a securement strap 24 for securing the mask 12 to the wearer’s head. The fielder’s mask 12ofFIG. 16 is similarly configured to have a facemask 30, protective pads, and a securement strap 24. In the embodiments of the removable liner system 10 shown in FIG. 14, 15, and 16, the liner system 10 is represented as constructed of two members that may be individually and separately installed in the masks 12, though it is foreseeable that the two members could be interconnected. Similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 through 12, one of the two members is an upper section 14 configured to cover the forehead protective pads and engage the forehead of the wearer’ s head and therefore is functionally analogous to the forehead piece 104 of the prior embodiment of FIGS. 5 through 12, and the other member of the liner system 10 is a lower section 16 configured to cover the chin protective pad and engage the cheeks and chin of the wearer and therefore is functionally analogous to the side and chin pieces 106 and 108 of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 through 12. The upper and lower sections 14 and 16 together form an opening 18 therebetween where the wearer's eyes are locatedso that the wearer can see through the removable liner system 10 as well as the facemask 30. The upper and lower sections 14 and 16 are sized so that portions of the securement strap 24 can fit therebetween on the left and right sides of the mask 12.

[0056] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 14, the upper and lower sections 14 and 16 are each configured to fully encase their respective protective pads, with slots (not shown) through which fasteners (straps) 20 pass that secure the protective pads to the facemask 30. As such, the slots in the upper and lower sections 14 and 16 are functionally analogous to the fasteners 22 of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 through 12.

[0057] In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the upper and lower sections 14 and 16 are each configured to cover only the interior surfaces of their respective protective pads, in which case the outermost layers of the upper and lower sections 14 and 16 and the protective pads of the masks 12 can be equipped with complementary fasteners similar to the fasteners 20 and 22 of the embodiments of FIGS. 2 through 12. Though the upper and lower sections 14 and 16 (forehead and chin pieces 104 and 108, respectively) are shown as individually and separately installed in the masks 12 of FIGS. 14 through 16, they could be interconnected in a manner similar to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 through 12, for example, with an element functionally analogous to the side piece 106 of the prior embodiment of FIGS. 5-12.

[0058] As previously noted above, though the foregoing detailed description describes certain aspects of one or more particular embodiments of the invention, alternatives could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the removable liner system 10 and its components could differ in appearance and construction from the embodiments described herein and shown in the drawings, functions of certain components of the removable liner system 10 could be performed by components of different construction but capable of a similar (though not necessarily equivalent) function, and various materials could be used in the fabrication of the removable liner system 10 and / or its components. As such, and again as was previously noted, it should be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to any particular embodiment described herein or illustrated in the drawings.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A removable liner system for a protective headgear having a protective mask, the removable liner system comprising:an upper section comprising a forehead piece adapted to cover a forehead of a wearer’s head;a lower section comprising a chin piece adapted to cover a chin of the wearer’s head; an opening defined by and between the upper and lower sections through which the wearer can see; andfasteners disposed on an exterior surface of the removable liner system for releasably attaching the removable liner system to an interior surface of the protective headgear;wherein the upper and lower sections are formed of layers of flexible materials that conform to concave contours of the interior surface of the protective headgear.

2. The removable liner system of claim 1, wherein the layers of flexible materials are washable.

3. The removable liner system of claim 1, wherein the upper section further comprises a crown piece having a pocket for holding a cold pack on top of the wearer's head.

4. The removable liner system of claim 1, wherein the lower section comprises side pieces that are attached to the upper section such that the removable liner system is installable in the protective headgear as a single unit.

5. The removable liner system of claim 1, wherein the lower section comprises a bib portion adapted to cover a bib of the protective headgear.

6. The removable liner system of claim 1, wherein the layers of flexible materials of theupper and lower sections include an innermost layer of a soft flexible moisture-wicking material, an outermost layer of a loop material adapted to couple with a complementary hook material of a hook-and-loop fastener system, and a moisture-absorbing layer therebetween.

7. The removable liner system of claim 1, wherein the layers of flexible materials of the upper and lower sections include an innermost layer of a moisture-wicking material and a second layer of a moisture-absorbing material.

8. A combination protective headgear with a protective mask and a removable liner system, the combination comprising:first fasteners disposed on an interior surface of the protective headgear;a removable liner system that conforms to concave contours of the interior surface of the protective headgear; andsecond fasteners disposed on an exterior surface of the removable liner system that releasably attach the removable liner system to the interior surface of the protective headgear.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein the first and second fasteners comprise hooks and loops, respectively, of a hook-and-loop fastener system.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the first fasteners comprise hook strips adhesively secured to the interior surface of the protective headgear, and the second fasteners comprise loops on the exterior surface of the removable liner system , whereby the hook strips remain secured to the interior surface of the protective headgear when the removable liner system is removed from the mask.

11. The combination of claim 8, wherein the removable liner system is washable.

12. The combination of claim 8, wherein the removable liner system has an uppersection configured to engage the wearer's forehead, a lower section configured to engage the wearer's chin, and an opening disposed between the upper section and the lower section configured to allow the wearer to see through the opening.

13. The combination of claim 12, wherein the upper section comprises a crown piece having a pocket for holding a cold pack.

14. The combination of claim 8, wherein the removable liner system comprises a crown piece adapted to cover a crown of a wearer's head, a forehead piece adapted to cover the wearer's forehead, a chin piece that cups the wearer's chin, and side pieces that attach the crown piece to the chin piece.

15. The combination of claim 14, wherein each of the forehead piece and the chin piece comprises layers of flexible materials, and an outmost layer is a loop material that couples with a hook material of a hook-and-loop fastener.

16. The combination of claim 14, wherein each of the forehead piece and the chin piece comprises layers of flexible materials that include an innermost layer of a soft flexible moisture-wicking material and a second layer of a moisture-absorbing material.

17. The combination of claim 8, wherein the first fasteners and the removable liner system are provided as a kit for retrofitting to an existing mask protective headgear.

18. The combination of claim 8, wherein the protective headgear is a fencing mask.

19. A method of using the combination of claim 8, the method comprising: conforming the removable liner system to the concave contours of the interior surface of the protective headgear; andreleasably coupling the second fasteners to corresponding ones of the first fasteners.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:uncoupling the second fasteners from the first fasteners;removing the removable liner system from the protective headgear mask; and washing the removable liner system separately from the protective headgear.

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