Protective water headwear

Abstract

Water headwear can include a plurality of openings that permit water to pass through the water headwear. Further, the water headwear can include at least one rib between the openings, the at least one rib being configured to reduce drag and cause the water headwear to more easily penetrate the surface of a body of water.

1 . Water headwear, comprising:
 a body, comprising:
 an upper cranial portion to protect frontal, parietal, and occipital regions of a wearer's head; 
 a temporal portion to protect a temporal region of the wearer's head; and 
 a first plurality of openings extending through the upper cranial portion and a second plurality of openings extending through the temporal portion that permit the passage of water through the water headwear, the first and second plurality of openings comprising between 10% and 40% of an exterior surface area of the body. 
   
     
     
         2 . The water headwear of  claim 1 , wherein the water headwear is a helmet. 
     
     
         3 . The water headwear of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of openings comprises a first percentage of an exterior surface area of the upper cranial portion and the second plurality of openings comprises a second percentage of an exterior surface area of the temporal portion, the second percentage being greater than the first percentage. 
     
     
         4 . The water headwear of  claim 1 , the upper cranial portion further comprising a transverse rib between adjacent openings of the first plurality of openings, the transverse rib extending approximately perpendicularly to a longitudinal centerline of the body. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The water headwear of  claim 4 , wherein a cross section of the transverse rib is shaped as a convex-convex foil. 
     
     
         7 . The water headwear of  claim 6 , wherein the convex-convex foil has a chord length and a maximum thickness at a distance of about one-third the chord length from a leading edge of the convex-convex foil. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The water headwear of  claim 6 , the upper cranial portion further comprising a support rib between adjacent openings of the first plurality of openings, the support rib transecting the transverse rib. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The water headwear of  claim 2 , wherein a lateral cross section of the support rib is shaped as an ellipse. 
     
     
         12 . The water headwear of  claim 11 , wherein the ellipse has an aspect ratio of less than or equal to 4:1. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The water headwear of  claim 6 , the upper cranial portion further comprising a circumferential rim extending around a circumference of a wearer's head when worn. 
     
     
         15 . The water headwear of  claim 14 , the upper cranial portion further comprising one or more bars extending longitudinally between points on the circumferential rim. 
     
     
         16 . The water headwear of  claim 15 , wherein the transverse rib is coupled to and extends approximately perpendicularly to a first bar of the one or more bars and connects the first bar to a second bar of the one or more bars. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . The water headwear of  claim 1 , the temporal portion further comprising a transverse rib extending approximately perpendicularly to a longitudinal centerline of the body. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The water headwear of  claim 18 , wherein a cross section of the transverse rib is shaped as a convex-convex foil. 
     
     
         21 . The water headwear of  claim 20 , wherein the convex-convex foil has a chord length and a maximum thickness at a distance of about one-third the chord length from a leading edge of the convex-convex foil. 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . The water headwear of  claim 20 , the temporal portion further comprising a peripheral rim framing at least a portion of an ear of a wearer when worn, wherein the transverse rib is coupled to the peripheral rim. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The water headwear of  claim 1 , the first plurality of openings comprising a rear opening larger than any other of the first plurality of openings. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The water headwear of  claim 1 , further comprising an ear cover, the ear cover being vertically adjustable and comprising a plurality of holes to aerate water entering a wearer's ears. 
     
     
         28 . Water headwear, comprising:
 a body, comprising:
 a first layer comprising a first material; 
 a second layer comprising a second material, the second material being less rigid than the first material; and 
 a plurality of openings extending through the first layer and the second layer that permit the passage of water through the water headwear, the plurality of openings comprising between 10% and 40% of an exterior surface area of the body. 
   
     
     
         29 . The water headwear of  claim 28 , wherein the water headwear is a helmet. 
     
     
         30 . The water headwear of  claim 28 , wherein the first layer is a rigid outer layer exterior to the second layer. 
     
     
         31 . The water headwear of  claim 28 , the body further comprising a first rib between adjacent openings of the plurality of openings. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The water headwear of  claim 31 , wherein a cross section of the first rib is shaped as a convex-convex foil. 
     
     
         34 . The water headwear of  claim 33 , wherein the convex-convex foil has a chord length and a maximum thickness at a distance of about one-third the chord length from a leading edge of the convex-convex foil. 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . The water headwear of  claim 31 , the body further comprising a second rib between adjacent openings of the plurality of openings, wherein the second rib has a lateral cross section configured to reduce drag. 
     
     
         37 . The water headwear of  claim 36 , wherein the first rib has a cross section configured to reduce drag, and wherein the lateral cross section of the second rib is a substantially different shape than the cross section of the first rib along an entire length of each of the first rib and second rib. 
     
     
         38 . The water headwear of  claim 36 , wherein the lateral cross section is shaped as an ellipse. 
     
     
         39 . The water headwear of  claim 38 , the ellipse having an aspect ratio of less than or equal to 4:1. 
     
     
         40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The water headwear of  claim 36 , wherein a respective shape of each of the first rib and the second rib varies depending on a respective angle that each of the first rib and the second rib extends with respect to a longitudinal centerline of the body. 
     
     
         42 . The water headwear of  claim 28 , the body further comprising channels in the second layer to facilitate a flow of water between an interior and an exterior of the water headwear. 
     
     
         43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . The water headwear of  claim 30 , the body further comprising a third layer disposed interior to the second layer. 
     
     
         45 . The water headwear of  claim 28 , wherein the water headwear does not retain water, such that the water drains from the water headwear in less than 2 seconds when the water headwear is submerged and quickly withdrawn from water while upside-down. 
     
     
         46 . Water headwear, comprising:
 an upper cranial portion to protect frontal, parietal, and occipital regions of a wearer's head, the upper cranial portion comprising:
 a rigid layer; 
 an impact-absorbing layer; 
 a first plurality of openings extending through the rigid layer and the impact-absorbing layer that permit the passage of water through the upper cranial portion; 
 a rib between adjacent openings of the first plurality of openings, the rib having a lateral cross section with a boundary not having a radius of curvature greater than or equal to 50 mm. 
   
     
     
         47 . The water headwear of  claim 46 , wherein the water headwear is a helmet. 
     
     
         48 . (canceled) 
     
     
         49 . The water headwear of  claim 46 , further comprising a temporal portion to protect a temporal region of the wearer's head, the temporal portion comprising a second plurality of openings that permit the passage of water through the temporal portion, the first plurality of openings comprising between 5% and 30% of an exterior surface area of the upper cranial portion and the second plurality of openings comprising between 15% and 40% of an exterior surface area of the temporal portion. 
     
     
         50 . The water headwear of  claim 46 , wherein the rigid layer comprises the rib. 
     
     
         51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . (canceled)