Helmet padding system

Abstract

Helmet padding systems are disclosed. One helmet padding system includes a baseball cap and a spacing pad. The baseball cap has a body portion and a brim portion. The cap includes a pair of side portions extending downward from the cap body below a point at which the brim portion meets the body portion. The spacing pad is positioned within the baseball cap, and includes a layer of elastomeric material.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A helmet padding system comprising:
 a baseball cap having a body portion and a brim portion, the cap comprising a pair of side portions extending downward from the cap body below a point at which the brim portion meets the body portion; and   a spacing pad positioned within the baseball cap, the spacing pad including a layer of elastomeric material.   
     
     
         2 . The helmet padding system of  claim 1 , wherein the side portions are sized to cover at least 50% of a user's ear when the helmet padding system is worn by the user. 
     
     
         3 . The helmet padding system of  claim 1 , further comprising a rear portion extending downward from the cap body, the rear portion forming a continuous extended portion with the pair of side portions. 
     
     
         4 . The helmet padding system of  claim 3 , wherein the rear portion extends downward from the cap body a same distance as the pair of side portions. 
     
     
         5 . The helmet padding system of  claim 3 , wherein the rear portion extends downward from the cap body a shorter distance than the pair of side portions. 
     
     
         6 . The helmet padding system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pair of side portions includes an opening therein. 
     
     
         7 . The helmet padding system of  claim 6 , wherein the openings are positioned over a user's ear when the helmet padding system is worn by the user. 
     
     
         8 . The helmet padding system of  claim 1 , wherein the spacing pad comprises a central portion and a plurality of extending portions projecting outward from the central portion 
     
     
         9 . The helmet padding system of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of extending portions includes at least a first extending portion extending to a position forward of a user's ear and a second extending portion extending to a position rearward of the user's ear when the helmet padding system is worn by the user, thereby defining a gap over the user's ear. 
     
     
         10 . The helmet padding system of  claim 8 , wherein each extending portion has an end portion with a greater width than a portion of the respective extending portion coupled to the central portion 
     
     
         11 . The helmet padding system of  claim 8 , wherein the body portion of the baseball cap includes a cutout in a rearward area, and wherein an extending portion of the spacing pad extending toward the rearward area is shorter than the remaining extending portions of the spacing pad. 
     
     
         12 . The helmet padding system of  claim 1 , wherein the spacing pad consists of a single layer of the elastomeric material. 
     
     
         13 . The helmet padding system of  claim 1 , wherein the spacing pad comprises a plurality of layers of elastomeric material. 
     
     
         14 . The helmet padding system of  claim 13 , wherein the spacing pad further comprises a layer of high tensile strength fibrous material between two layers of elastomeric material. 
     
     
         15 . The helmet padding system of  claim 1 , further comprising a rigid frame coupled to the baseball cap, the rigid frame comprising a plurality of rigid members defining a space in an area of a user's ear when the helmet padding system is worn by the user. 
     
     
         16 . The helmet padding system of  claim 1 , further comprising a rigid liner extending around a peripheral edge of the body portion of the baseball cap. 
     
     
         17 . The helmet padding system of  claim 16 , wherein the baseball cap comprises a pocket extending around the peripheral edge of the body portion, and the rigid liner is positioned within the pocket.