Air control pads and system for an helmet and helmet equipped with same.

Abstract

An air control pad for an helmet is provided. The helmet for use with the air control pad comprises an outer shell having an inside surface facing a head of a person when wearing the helmet, an inner liner surrounding the head of the user when wearing the helmet and operatively mounted to the helmet outer shell, a chin bar disposed below the face visor, the chin bar having an inside surface facing toward the person when wearing the helmet and a breath guard. The inner liner generally having an inner face forming a curved surface for receiving the head of the user when wearing the helmet and a substantially transparent face visor attached to the helmet outer shell. The air control pad is preferably embodied as a flexible element extending upwardly and/or inwardly from the helmet inner liner on the right and/or left inner side of the face visor or goggles. The flexible element is configured to be in contact with the face edge of the breath guard and the inner liner.

1 ) An air control pad for a helmet, the helmet comprising:
 an outer shell having an inside surface facing a head of a person when wearing the helmet;   an inner liner surrounding the head of the user when wearing the helmet and mounted to the helmet outer shell, the inner liner having an inner face forming a curved surface for receiving the head of the user when wearing the helmet;   a substantially transparent face visor attached to the helmet outer shell;   a chin bar disposed below the face visor, the chin bar having an inside surface facing toward the user when wearing the helmet; and   a breath guard comprising a breath guard face edge which is in contact with the face of the user when wearing the helmet, the breath guard extending from the inside surface of the chin bar toward the breath guard face edge,   the air control pad being made of a flexible element extending upwardly and/or inwardly from the helmet inner liner on the right or left inner side of the face visor, the flexible element being configured to be in contact with the face edge of the breath guard and the inner liner.   
     
     
         2 ) The air control pad of  claim 1 , the air control pad being configured to be compressed between the face edge of the breath guard and the upper surface of the inner liner and/or the face of the user when wearing the helmet limiting the ability of breath vapor to reach the visor. 
     
     
         3 ) The air control pad of  claim 1 , the air control pad being an integral part of the helmet. 
     
     
         4 ) The air control pad of  claim 3 , wherein the air control pad is an integral part of the breath guard. 
     
     
         5 ) The air control pad of  claim 2 , the air control pad being made from a deformable material covered by an airtight covering material. 
     
     
         6 ) The air control pad of  claim 1 , the air pad control being removably secured to the inner liner. 
     
     
         7 ) The air control pad of  claim 1 , the air pad control being adapted to be mounted to pre-existing helmets. 
     
     
         8 ) The air control pad of  claim 1 , wherein the air control pad is selected from a plurality of air control pads having various sizes to fit various users' faces. 
     
     
         9 ) The air control pad of  claim 1 , the air control pad having an integrated air pump system to fill the air control pad upon wearing the helmet. 
     
     
         10 ) The air control pad of  claim 1 , the air control pad being made by a compressible material in a way to have a defined volume while being adapted to adopt different forms. 
     
     
         11 ) The air control pad of  claim 1 , the air control pad being configured to be inserted between the breath guard and the inner liner of the helmet. 
     
     
         12 ) The air control pad of  claim 1 , wherein the contact area of the air control pads with the face edge of the breath guard is approximately 30% of the total surface of the breath guard. 
     
     
         13 ) A method of using the air control pad of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 upwardly rotating a chin bar of a helmet to its secured non-operational position;   securing a right control pad to the right side of an inner liner of the helmet about a portion being in contact with a user's cheek when wearing the helmet;   securing a left control pad to the left side of an inner liner of the helmet about a portion being in contact with a user's cheek when wearing the helmet;   downwardly rotating the chin bar of the helmet to its secured operational position.   
     
     
         14 ) The method as claimed in  claim 13 , the method further comprises the step of inserting air control pads between the inner liner of the helmet on the side facing the head of a user and the breath guard such as to be compressed against the user's face when wearing the helmet.