Universal protective headgear

Abstract

A universal protective headgear device wraps around a user's head to cover and protect crucial areas around the entire circumference of the cranium while conforming to each user's particular anatomy, including head shape and size. Pads formed of impact absorbing polymers having full elastic memory are fitted within the headgear, between inner and outer layers of moisture absorbing material, such as neoprene or knitted fabric. Hook and loop fasteners on the opposite end portions allow for adjusted fitting to the user's head. The polymeric pads are structured and disposed to absorb and dissipate significant impact forces, thereby providing increased protection to areas around a user's entire head that are at the highest level of risk of head and brain injuries. The polymeric pads include an equally spaced arrangement of ventilation holes formed therethrough to allow perspiration to be transferred from the inner layer to the outer layer for dissipation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective headgear device comprising:
 an elongate headband having an outer layer with an outer facing surface, an inner layer with an inner facing surface, opposite end portions, and a central portion between the end portions, the headband being sized, structured and configured to wrap around the entire circumference of a user's head, including across the forehead, through the temporal regions and across the back of the user's head to define an operative position, and the outer layer and the inner layer of the headband being formed of a material that absorbs and dissipates moisture; and   at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert between the outer layer and the inner layer of the headband positioned to overly and protect areas around the entire circumference of the user's head when the headband is worn in the operative position, and the at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert being compressible and having elastic memory capable of resuming original shape after compression and a hardness ranging between Shore A 20 and 65, and the at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert being structured and disposed to absorb and dissipate external forces of impact to the outer facing surface when the headband is worn in the operative position on the user's head; and   the at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert further including an arrangement of equally spaced ventilation holes formed entirely through a thickness of the at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert, and the ventilation holes having a diameter ranging between 1/32 of an inch and ⅛ of an inch.   
     
     
         2 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 1  further comprising releasable fasteners on the opposite end portions of said headband for adjustably fitting and securing the headband snug around the user's head in the operative position. 
     
     
         3 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert is held in fixed position between the outer and inner layers of material. 
     
     
         4 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 3  wherein the outer layer of material is neoprene. 
     
     
         5 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 4  wherein the inner layer of material is neoprene. 
     
     
         6 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 5  wherein the headband includes a plurality of said impact absorbing polymeric inserts positioned adjacent to one another along at least a portion of the length of the headband. 
     
     
         7 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 6  wherein the opposite end portions and the central portion of the headband include at least one of the plurality of impact absorbing polymeric inserts. 
     
     
         8 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the releasable fasteners are hook and loop fasteners. 
     
     
         9 . A protective headgear device comprising:
 an elongate headband having an outer layer with an outer facing surface, an inner layer with an inner facing surface, opposite end portions, and a central portion between the end portions, the headband being sized, structured and configured to wrap around the entire circumference of a user's head, including across the forehead, through the temporal regions and across the back of the user's head to define an operative position, and the outer layer and the inner layer of the headband being formed of a material that absorbs and dissipates moisture;   at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert between the outer layer and the inner layer of the headband positioned to overly and protect areas around the entire circumference of the user's head when the headband is worn in the operative position, and the at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert being compressible and having elastic memory capable of resuming original shape after compression and a hardness ranging between Shore A 20 and 65, and the at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert being structured and disposed to absorb and dissipate external forces of impact to the outer facing surface when the headband is worn in the operative position on the user's head;   the at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert further including an arrangement of equally spaced ventilation holes formed entirely through a thickness of the at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert, and the ventilation holes having a diameter ranging between 1/32 of an inch and ⅛ of an inch; and   releasable fasteners on the opposite end portions of said headband for adjustably fitting and securing the headband snug around the user's head in the operative position.   
     
     
         10 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 9  wherein the at least one impact absorbing polymeric insert is held in fixed position between the outer and inner layers of material. 
     
     
         11 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 10  wherein the outer layer of material is neoprene. 
     
     
         12 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 11  wherein the inner layer of material is neoprene. 
     
     
         13 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 12  wherein the headband includes a plurality of said impact absorbing polymeric inserts positioned adjacent to one another along at least a portion of the length of the headband. 
     
     
         14 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 13  wherein the opposite end portions and the central portion of the headband include at least one of the plurality of impact absorbing polymeric inserts. 
     
     
         15 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 9  wherein the releasable fasteners are hook and loop fasteners. 
     
     
         16 . The protective headgear device as recited in  claim 10  wherein the outer layer and the inner layer are a knitted fabric.