Helmet liner assembly

Abstract

A helmet having a helmet shell with an inner surface defining a cavity and a frontal opening is provided. The helmet includes a liner assembly for engagement with the helmet shell within the cavity, and which has a lateral liner portion including left and a right liner portions having an outer surface complementarily shaped relative to left and right inner surface portions of the inner surface, respectively. The left liner portion includes a left chin segment, and the right liner portion includes a right chin segment, with the chin segments being configured to engage one another proximate a front section of the helmet. The liner assembly also includes a central liner portion engageable between the left and right liner portions and having an outer surface complementarily shaped relative to a central portion of the inner surface portion for engagement therewith.

1 . A helmet comprising:
 a helmet shell having an inner surface defining a cavity and a frontal opening;   a liner assembly for engagement with the helmet shell within the cavity, the liner assembly comprising:
 a lateral liner portion comprising a left liner portion and a right liner portion, each of the left and right liner portions having an outer surface complementarily shaped relative to left and right inner surface portions of the inner surface, respectively, and configured to engage with same, where the left liner portion includes a left chin segment, and the right liner portion includes a right chin segment, the left and right chin segments being configured to engage one another proximate a front section of the helmet shell; and 
 a central liner portion engageable between the left and right liner portions and having an outer surface complementarily shaped relative to a central inner surface portion for engagement therewith. 
   
     
     
         2 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the complementarily shaped outer surfaces of the left and right liner portions and the left and right inner surface portions are adapted to engage one another to at least partially reduce relative movement between the left and right liner portions and the helmet shell. 
     
     
         3 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the central liner portion comprises central engagement surfaces provided on either side thereof, and wherein the left and right liner portions include respective lateral engagement surfaces configured to engage with the central engagement surfaces. 
     
     
         4 . The helmet of  claim 3 , wherein each central engagement surface comprises one or more projections extending therefrom, and wherein each lateral engagement surface comprises one or more recesses adapted to receive respective projections therein, the projections and recesses being adapted to cooperate to at least partially reduce relative movement between the central liner portion and the left and right liner portions. 
     
     
         5 . The helmet of  claim 3 , wherein the central engagement surfaces are shaped and sized to bias the left and right liner portions outwardly and away from the central liner portion upon engagement of the central liner portion between the left and right liner portions. 
     
     
         6 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the central liner portion comprises rabbeted edges extending along left and right sides thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The helmet of  claim 6 , wherein each rabbeted edge comprises at least one angled surface configured to bias the left and right liner portions outwardly and away from the central liner portion upon engagement of the central liner portion between the left and right liner portions. 
     
     
         8 . The helmet of  claim 6 , wherein the left and right liner portions each include an overhang adapted to engage respective rabbeted edges and define rabbet joints therewith. 
     
     
         9 . The helmet of  claim 1 , further comprising a bottom opening, and wherein the central liner portion extends from a rear section of the helmet shell proximate the bottom opening, along the central inner surface portion and to the front section proximate the frontal opening. 
     
     
         10 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein the central liner portion comprises a frontal segment adapted to be spaced from the inner surface of the helmet shell, thereby defining a gap therebetween. 
     
     
         11 . The helmet of  claim 10 , wherein the left and right liner portions comprise respective forward segments adapted to be spaced from the inner surface of the helmet shell, and wherein the gap is further defined between the inner surface of the helmet shell and the forward segments. 
     
     
         12 . The helmet of  claim 1 , further comprising a chin guard provided at the front section of the helmet shell and at least partially defining a periphery of the frontal opening, and wherein the left and right chin segments extend along the chin guard on respective sides thereof and engage one another substantially at a middle point of the chin guard. 
     
     
         13 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the left and right chin segments includes an engagement surface adapted to engage the engagement surface of the other one of the left and right chin segments. 
     
     
         14 . The helmet of  claim 13 , wherein one of the engagement surfaces comprises a protrusion, and wherein another one of the engagement surfaces comprises a recess adapted to receive the protrusion therein when the engagement surfaces engage one another. 
     
     
         15 . The helmet of  claim 1 , wherein each one of the left liner portion, the right liner portion and the central liner portion is made of a single piece. 
     
     
         16 . The helmet of  claim 1 , further comprising a chin brace coupled to the left and right chin segments and extending along the periphery of the frontal opening to reinforce the left and right chin segments within the cavity. 
     
     
         17 . A helmet liner assembly for installation within a cavity of a helmet shell along an inner surface thereof, the helmet liner assembly comprising:
 a lateral liner portion comprising a left liner portion and a right liner portion, each of the left and right liner portions having an outer surface complementarily shaped relative to left and right inner surface portions of the inner surface, respectively, and configured to engage with same, where the left liner portion includes a left chin segment, and the right liner portion includes a right chin segment, the left and right chin segments being configured to engage one another proximate a front section of the helmet shell; and   a central liner portion engageable between the left and right liner portions and having an outer surface complementarily shaped relative to a central inner surface portion for engagement therewith.   
     
     
         18 . A method of installing a helmet liner assembly as defined in  claim 17  within a helmet shell, comprising:
 inserting the left liner portion within the cavity for engagement with the left inner surface portion; 
 inserting the right liner portion within the cavity for engagement with the right inner surface portion; and 
 inserting the central liner portion within the cavity between the left and right liner portions for engagement therewith. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the steps of inserting the left liner portion and the right liner portion within the cavity are done generally simultaneously. 
     
     
         20 . A method of installing a helmet liner assembly within a helmet shell, comprising:
 inserting a left liner portion made of a single piece of material within a cavity of the helmet shell for engagement with a left inner surface portion thereof;   inserting a right liner portion made of a single piece of material within the cavity for engagement with a right inner surface portion thereof; and   inserting a central liner portion made of a single piece within the cavity between the left and right liner portions for engagement therewith, the central liner portion being configured to bias the left and right liner portions against corresponding inner surface portions of the helmet shell when engaged between the left and right liner portions.