Sports helmet

Abstract

A sports helmet includes a soft casing having a plurality of holes to allow for proper aeration, and a rear orifice to allow for hair pieces, such as pony tails, to extend from a wearer's head therethrough so as not to interfere with the operation of the helmet or distract the wearer from play. The helmet also contains a front edge which is particularly shaped to conform to the top edge of protective eyewear to eliminate any unprotected gap between the helmet and the eyewear.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sports helmet, which comprises:
 a continuous, molded casing formed from a vinyl-sealed, closed cell, foam-like material, the casing having a top side, a front side, a rear side situated opposite the front side, and two opposite lateral sides, the front and rear sides being integrally joined to the lateral sides, and the top side being integrally joined to the front and rear sides and to the two opposite lateral sides, the top side, front and rear sides and opposite lateral sides together defining a cavity to receive the head of a sports player so that the helmet provides protection to the sports player's head when worn by the sports player; and   a pair of ear loops, a respective ear loop of the pair of ear loops being attached to a corresponding lateral side of the casing and extending therefrom.   
     
     
         2 . The sports helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the casing has a thickness of about one-half inch (½″) over at least a portion thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The sports helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the front side of the casing includes a lower edge, the lower edge having opposite side edge portions and a central edge portion interposed between the opposite side edge portions, the central edge portion extending downwardly to a greater extent than the opposite side edge portions. 
     
     
         4 . The sports helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of aeration holes are formed through the thickness of the casing, the aeration holes being in communication with the cavity defined by the top side, front and rear sides and opposite lateral sides. 
     
     
         5 . The sports helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein a hair access opening is formed through the thickness of the casing and is in communication with the cavity to allow a portion of a wearer's hair to extend therethrough. 
     
     
         6 . The sports helmet according to  claim 5 , which further comprises:
 a plug, the plug being dimensioned to be received by the hair access opening and being removably securable therein, the plug having a first Velcro™ hook and loop fastening material situated on an exterior surface thereof, the casing having a mating second Velcro™ hook and loop fastening material situated on an exposed surface thereof in proximity to the hair access opening and engagable with the first Velcro™ hook and loop fastening material to secure removably the plug within the hair access opening.   
     
     
         7 . The sports helmet according to  claim 1 , which further comprises:
 a chin strap, the chin strap being joined to and extending between the ear loops.   
     
     
         8 . The sports helmet according to  claim 7 , wherein the chin strap is formed from two mating first and second sections, each of the first and second sections having a first end which is secured to a corresponding ear loop, and a second free end; and
 wherein the sports helmet further comprises:   a chin strap securing device, the chin strap securing device having attachable and detachable mating first and second portions, the first portion of the chin strap securing device being secured to the second free end of the first section of the chin strap, and the second portion of the chin strap securing device being secured to the second free end of the second section of the chin strap.   
     
     
         9 . The sports helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein each ear loop includes axially opposite flattened free ends, and a central portion interposed between the flattened free ends, the central portion being rounded in shape in traverse cross-section; and
 wherein each opposite lateral side of the casing has an exposed edge in which is formed two spaced apart slots, the flattened free ends of a respective ear loop being received by corresponding slots of a lateral side of the casing to secure the ear loop to the casing.   
     
     
         10 . The sports helmet according to  claim 9 , wherein each ear loop is further secured to the casing by at least one of adhesively joining the flattened ends of each ear loop to the casing and sewing the flattened ends of each ear loop to the casing. 
     
     
         11 . The sports helmet according to  claim 1 , wherein the casing has a thickness in the range of about three-eighths inch (⅜″) to about three-quarters inch (¾″) over at least a portion thereof. 
     
     
         12 . In combination:
 a sports helmet, the sports helmet including a continuous, molded casing formed from a vinyl-sealed, closed cell, foam-like material, the casing having a top side, a front side, a rear side situated opposite the front side, and two opposite lateral sides, the front and rear sides being integrally joined to the lateral sides, and the top side being integrally joined to the front and rear sides and to the two opposite lateral sides, the top side, front and rear sides and opposite lateral sides together defining a cavity to receive the head of a sports player so that the helmet provides protection to the sports player's head when worn by the sports player, the sports helmet further including a pair of ear loops, a respective ear loop of the pair of ear loops being attached to a corresponding lateral side of the casing and extending therefrom, wherein the front side of the casing includes a front edge, the front edge having opposite side edge portions and a central edge portion interposed between the opposite side edge portions, the central edge portion extending downwardly to a greater extent than the opposite side edge portions; and   protective goggles, the protective goggles having an upper edge, the upper edge being of a complementary shape to that of the front edge of the helmet, the upper edge of the protective goggles, when worn by a sports player also wearing the helmet, being situated adjacent and in close proximity to the front edge of the sports helmet such that there is substantially no gap between the front edge of the sports helmet and the upper edge of the protective goggles.