Ear protector for a hockey or lacrosse helmet

Abstract

The present invention provides an ear protector for a hockey or lacrosse helmet, the ear protector having a front portion, a top portion, a rear portion, a bottom portion with a bottom edge and inner and outer sides, the ear protector being made of a first material and a second material, the first material being a clear rigid material and the second material being a soft material, wherein the second material is overmolded onto the first material for covering the bottom edge such that the bottom edge is at least partially made of the second material overmolded onto the first material.

1 . An ear protector for a hockey or lacrosse helmet, said ear protector having a front portion, a top portion, a rear portion, a bottom portion with a bottom edge and inner and outer sides, said ear protector being made of a first material and a second material, said first material being a clear rigid material and said second material being a soft material, wherein said second material is overmolded onto said first material for covering said bottom edge such that said bottom edge is at least partially made of said second material overmolded onto said first material. 
     
     
         2 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said second material is overmolded onto said first material for covering at least partially said inner side. 
     
     
         3 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said first material is polycarbonate (PC). 
     
     
         4 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said first material is selected in the group consisting of polycarbonate (PC), acrylic, clear polymer, polypropylene, SURLYN™, and styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC). 
     
     
         5 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said first material has a Rockwell hardness between 70 R and 121 R. 
     
     
         6 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said first material has a tensile strength between 8,000 psi and 12,000 psi. 
     
     
         7 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said second material is thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). 
     
     
         8 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said second material is selected in the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polypropylene and Medium Density Polyethylene (MDPE). 
     
     
         9 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said second material has a durometer hardness between 40 Shore A and 60 Shore A. 
     
     
         10 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said first material and said second material are selected from a same family of materials. 
     
     
         11 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said second material is more flexible than said first material. 
     
     
         12 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said inner side of said ear protector defines a recessed region for facing an ear of a player. 
     
     
         13 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of said recessed region is overmolded with second material. 
     
     
         14 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said second material is overmolded onto said first material such that at least a portion of said first material is covered on both said inner side and said outer side of said ear protector by said second material. 
     
     
         15 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said bottom edge comprises at least one indented region for receiving said second material onto said first material. 
     
     
         16 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said first material and said second material define a flush arrangement between one another along said bottom edge of said ear protector. 
     
     
         17 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a central aperture defined by an internal peripheral edge and being adapted to be located generally adjacent the external auditory canal of the player's ear and wherein said second material is overmolded onto said first material for covering at least partially said internal peripheral edge. 
     
     
         18 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said front portion has at least one aperture for affixing said ear protector to a front shell of the hockey or lacrosse helmet and said rear portion has a rear extension defining a longitudinal slot for mounting said rear extension to a rear shell of the hockey or lacrosse helmet, said longitudinal slot allowing movement of the rear shell relative to said rear extension when the front and rear shells move relative to each other. 
     
     
         19 . A hockey or lacrosse helmet comprising an ear protector as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . An ear protector for a hockey or lacrosse helmet, said ear protector having a front portion, a top portion, a rear portion, and a bottom portion with a bottom edge, wherein said ear protector has an ear protector body made of a first material and said bottom edge is at least partially made of a second material overmolded onto said first material of said ear protector body, and wherein said first material is a clear rigid material and said second material is a soft material. 
     
     
         21 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said bottom portion is at least partially made of said second material overmolded onto said first material of said ear protector body. 
     
     
         22 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said first material is polycarbonate (PC). 
     
     
         23 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said first material is selected in the group consisting of polycarbonate (PC), acrylic, clear polymer, polypropylene, SURLYN™, and styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC). 
     
     
         24 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said first material has a Rockwell hardness between 70 R and 121 R. 
     
     
         25 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said first material has a tensile strength between 8,000 psi and 12,000 psi. 
     
     
         26 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said second material is thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). 
     
     
         27 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said second material is selected in the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polypropylene and Medium Density Polyethylene (MDPE). 
     
     
         28 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said second material has a durometer hardness between 40 Shore A and 60 Shore A. 
     
     
         29 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said first material and said second material are selected from a same family of materials. 
     
     
         30 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said second material is more flexible than said first material. 
     
     
         31 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , further comprising an inner side which defines a recessed region for receiving an ear of a player. 
     
     
         32 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 31 , wherein at least a portion of said recessed region is overmolded with second material. 
     
     
         33 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , further comprising an inner side and an outer side, wherein said second material is overmolded onto said first material such that at least a portion of said first material is covered on both said inner side and said outer side by said second material. 
     
     
         34 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said bottom edge comprises at least one indented region for receiving said second material onto said first material. 
     
     
         35 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 34 , wherein said first material and said second material define a flush arrangement between one another along said bottom edge of said ear protector. 
     
     
         36 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , further comprising a central aperture defined by an internal peripheral edge and being adapted to be located generally adjacent the external auditory canal of the player's ear and wherein said internal peripheral edge is at least partially made of said second material overmolded onto said first material of said ear protector body. 
     
     
         37 . An ear protector as defined in  claim 20 , wherein said front portion has at least one aperture for affixing said ear protector to a front shell of the hockey or lacrosse helmet and said rear portion has a rear extension defining a longitudinal slot for mounting said rear extension to a rear shell of the hockey or lacrosse helmet, said longitudinal slot allowing movement of the rear shell relative to said rear extension when the front and rear shells move relative to each other. 
     
     
         38 . A hockey or lacrosse helmet comprising an ear protector as defined in  claim 20 .