Shock absorbing face guard

Abstract

The present invention is a shock absorbing face guard for reducing an impact force by a user. The segmented face guard has a hub wearable by a user or mountable to a helmet, and a face bar having a portion slidably associated with the hub. The hub includes a hub magnetic element featuring a first pole. The face bar portion received in the hub includes a face bar magnetic element featuring a first pole oriented toward the first pole of the hub magnetic element. The first pole of the face bar magnetic element is of a same pole as the first pole of the hub magnetic element so as to produce a magnetic repulsion force at a predetermined distance therebetween. Connection bars can be articulately between face bars so as to provide additional impact absorption, and to support the face bars while allowing independent movement of the face bars.

What is claimed as being new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows: 
     
         1 . A shock absorbing face guard for reducing an impact force by a user, said shock absorbing face guard comprising:
 at least one hub having a hub magnetic element featuring a first pole; and   at least one face bar having a portion slidably associated with said hub, said portion having at least one face bar magnetic element featuring a first pole oriented toward said first pole of said hub magnetic element, said first pole of said face bar magnetic element being of a same pole as said first pole of said hub magnetic element so as to produce a magnetic repulsion force at a predetermined distance therebetween.   
     
     
         2 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 1 , wherein said hub having a configuration so as to be removably attachable to a helmet. 
     
     
         3 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 1 , wherein said hub further comprising at least one hub cavity defined therein having a configuration to slidably receive an end of said portion of said face bar, and a hub opening defined through said hub in communication with said hub cavity, said hub opening having a configuration to slidably receive said portion of said face bar. 
     
     
         4 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 3 , wherein said hub magnetic element being located in said hub cavity, and said face bar magnet being associated with said end of said portion of said face bar. 
     
     
         5 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 4 , wherein said hub cavity being defined in at least one extension member, and said hub opening being defined through an end of said extension member. 
     
     
         6 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 5 , wherein said hub cavity and said hub opening having a configuration so that said face bar magnetic element is aligned with said hub magnetic element when said end of said portion of said face bar is received in said hub cavity. 
     
     
         7 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 1 , where said face bar is a plurality of face bars in a spaced apart relationship. 
     
     
         8 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 7  further comprising at least one connection bar coupled to at least two of said face bars. 
     
     
         9 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 8 , wherein said connection bar includes ends each being articulatably coupled to one of said face bars. 
     
     
         10 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 9 , wherein each of said ends of said connection bar further comprises a fitting that rotatably receives said face bar. 
     
     
         11 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 8 , wherein said face bar further comprising at least one face bar cavity defined therein, and at least one face bar opening defined through said face bar in communication with said face bar cavity, said face bar opening having a configuration to receive a portion of said connection bar, said face bar cavity having a configuration to receive an end of said connection bar. 
     
     
         12 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 11 , wherein said end of said connection bar has a width larger than a width of said face bar opening. 
     
     
         13 . The shock absorbing face guard according to  claim 12 , wherein said end of said connection bar has a first transition section from said portion of said connection bar, and a second transition section from said first transition section, said first transition section features a first radius, said second transition section features a second radius.